Insatiable
by Icarax88
Summary: [Elise x Kha'Zix] For years, the Spider Queen has been a vicious and elegant being, but even she couldn't prepare herself for the next step in the Voidreaver's evolution . Or the bond they would form from it.
1. Chapter 1: The Predators' Game

**Hello everyone. I am no stranger to writing and publishing on the web; however, this is my first fan fiction I've ever written.**

**In the game League of Legends, I always thought Elise and Kha'Zix would make a great couple. I'm not really sure if it's because they're both based on species of arthropods that eat each other's mates, if they were released next to each other, or whatever. But as you can guess, this is my attempt at shipping these two.**

**If you like this story, feel free to leave a comment. If you dislike it and feel you have criticisms to help me improve, then definitely tell me. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this.**

* * *

Insatiable

Chapter 1: The Predators' Game

Five beams of light shot down. When they reached the ground, five people stood on a platform. Before them, a purple Nexus, three lanes, turrets, the jungle, and, eventually, the opposing team. There was a moment of silence before the announcer said their usual _"Welcome to Summoner's Rift!"_ opening. It was at this the entire world seemed to fall away into nothingness and all that mattered was the battle to be. The air shivered as subtle magic danced through it, powering up the structures in this place. Their bodies stabilized, the stars of this arena, the Champions, readied themselves for the match.

Elise looked around the platform to her teammates. Caitlyn and Taric were to go to the bottom lane. Maokai was chosen as their jungler. Renekton was to handle top. That left the Spider Queen with mid. She quickly purchased her items and followed Maokai to where the ancient golem would spawn. As she made her way there, she was calculating the best strategies to use against the enemy team. They were Ashe with Sona at bottom, Wukong top, Kha'Zix jungle, and LeBlanc mid. As she stood in the bush just above the river, she could also feel her Summoner thinking of stratagems.

_Just let me do as I please, _Elise thought, sensing the alarmed reaction of the Summoner, _I know what I have to do. Just enjoy the ride, okay?_

Elise felt a sense of compliance from them. She grinned. She just wanted to get this match over with as quickly as possible. Although she knew that with each match she could gather more potential followers, she barely had the time or the energy to continue her daily tasks. As many new people came to her interested in her little cult, there were others who had been staying longer that were leaving. They had felt that their leader wasn't as dedicated to her own religion any more, and though most of the time she could still lure them back, she felt it getting harder and harder to retain her control over things. Plus, what little free time she could get she felt she couldn't get rest. Her body was becoming more exhausted at a more frequent rate these days. She shouldn't be needing another dose of Vilemaw's venom this soon, but…

The ancient golem spawned. As Maokai's saplings exploded Elise flung webbing through the trees before going to her lane.

* * *

The first ten minutes were just Elise and LeBlanc dancing around each other, occasionally throwing something at the other before returning to slaying minions. Maokai had attempted to gank three times, but this LeBlanc was playing extremely safe, saving her disables for each time the Twisted Treant arrived. Despite the number of Volatile Spiderlings and Neurotoxin shots Elise landed on LeBlanc, she could never get her at low enough health to move in for the kill. The Deceiver always seemed to have a health potion at hand. Elise furrowed her brow. It was getting extremely irritating how much mana she was using only for LeBlanc to either heal back up or recall. Still, because of how passive her enemy was, Elise was putting quite a beating on the blue team's turret, which had been reduced to about half-health by the ten minute mark

She looked down the lane to see LeBlanc coming back down with a fresh wave of minons. Elise looked around her; her own minion wave was mostly gone to the turret. The Spider Queen backed up as a new line of minions came and locked into battle in the middle again. LeBlanc, as she has been doing so far, sat in the back waiting to last-hit the purple minions. Elise sighed before hearing a pinging sound in her head. Maokai had come again, waiting in the bottom brush. He watched the battle, signaling Elise to let the minion wave fall back to her side more. Steadily, the fighting came to Elise's side with LeBlanc going in.

Now! Maokai turned into a series of crawling vines as he accelerated towards the Deceiver. Elise had only taken the first step forward when she realized something was wrong. LeBlanc's sudden aggression was out of place to her style from the first few minutes of this match. Her sudden reckless abandon could only mean –

Elise heard it before she saw it. From the top brush, a shadowy figure leapt out. "Devour their bones!" it shrieked as it landed before Elise. The Spider Queen felt the impact of the land shudder through her body. She looked up into the eyes of the voracious beast before her. Kha'Zix snarled and brought a scything claw down.

Elise jumped back just as Kha'Zix hit the spot where she was standing. With a monstrous screech, the Voidreaver lunged forward, slicing Elise's leg. Blood spurted out as the claw tore through the length of her right thigh. "Damn it!" Elise said, throwing a glob of webbing at the creature. Kha'Zix clawed at the webbing sticking to him, momentarily distracted. Elise gripped her leg, wrapping a strand of webbing along it to stop the bleeding. She couldn't stop the pain before numbness from crawling through her leg though, and she it took a large portion of her willpower to not fall to her knee. She looked up to see the Voidreaver tearing away the silk that cocooned him. But just as he ripped the last of the substance from his body and was about to strike at Elise again, a shockwave hit him from behind, disorienting him.

Maokai, half-charred, batted the insect-monster to the side. He signaled Elise to fall back as LeBlanc, crippled but not out, fired golden chains forward. They buried themselves in the Twisted Treant's back as he attempted to lumber to the purple turret. Elise gritted her teeth and summoned a Volatile Spiderling just as she spat a dose of Neurotoxin towards the Deceiver. LeBlanc cried out for a second when the two strikes hit. She fell to one knee before momentarily disappearing. In the next instant, there were two of them, both laughing as one went towards the top brush and the other towards the blue turret. Elise was about to go for the one heading back to the turret, but – it was too obvious… Elise only hesitated for half a second before switching to her spider form and launching into the air. In the next second, she was behind the one going up to the brush and, with a Venomous Bite along with help from her Spiderlings, killed her.

"_You have slain an enemy!"_ the announcer said. In a puff of black magic, Elise reverted back to her human guise and smirked. It didn't last long though as the announcer immediately followed with _"An ally has been slain!"_ along with the sound of Maokai groaning.

Elise turned sharply to see Maokai, one arm decapitated, fall to the ground. Sap covering his claws and with a bruised exoskeleton, Kha'Zix growled at her before disappearing into the bottom brush. Elise's eyes narrowed and she gingerly touched her cut leg while a beam of blue light began to teleport her back to her platform.

* * *

At the thirty minute mark, the blue team had made a push all the way to the bottom lane's inhibitor. Though Elise had managed to take out her enemy's first middle turret while Renekton had successfully taken both of top's and was working on the inhibitor turret; Caitlyn, Taric, and Maokai were desperately holding back an assault by Ashe, Sona, LeBlanc, and Wukong. Elise, in her spider form, went down the river from blue side's golem to assist them. Damn fools, she thought, Caitlyn and Taric really weren't able to hold the bottom lane against Ashe and Sona? Elise, having gotten four kills and only died once to a gank by Wukong, was hoping she could make something happen before their inhibitor went down. She hadn't seen the Voidreaver though for some time. Renekton was on the lookout for the monster while Elise skittered down the river with four spiderlings behind her.

She plotted her attack: take down Ashe first while her team pushed back. LeBlanc shouldn't be much of a problem, since Elise set her far behind. The only problem would be Wukong, but if Maokai and Taric could keep him away for just a few seconds, they could prevent their inhibitor from going down. She also hoped her allies would be smart enough to spread out should Sona use her Crescendo ability.

But as fate would have it, she wouldn't be making it to bottom any time soon. Elise crossed the middle lane and was on the other side of the river. She walked right into the patch of brush in the middle of the river where she immediately came face-to-face with a pair of green piercing eyes and a set of savage fangs. Kha'Zix hissed and slashed at the Spider Queen, hitting her with enough force to send her tumbling out into the water. The surprise of the Voidreaver hiding in there plus the shock of the blow made Elise involuntarily turn back into her human form. Her Spiderlings disappeared in puffs of black magic just as they were about to lunge at Kha'Zix rushing out of the brush.

"You little insect…" she murmured, blasting a shot of Neurotoxin at him. Kha'Zix hissed when it hit but didn't slow his advance. Elise rolled to the side right as his claw hit the spot she was lying at.

"There is no escape," the Voidreaver hissed, bending forward and launching a volley of spines. One set struck Elise in the shoulder, causing her to wince. She grabbed the projectile in her shoulder as Kha'Zix leapt at her. With the appendages on her back, she crawled away, narrowly dodging another close encounter with the beast. She gritted her teeth and pulled the spine out, ignoring the pain. Kha'Zix raised a claw and screeched.

"Here, take this," Elise said as she sent a venom-engorged spiderling forward while launching a cocoon. Kha'Zix reeled, frantically tearing at the sticky silk. The spiderling approached him, swelling before exploding and spraying burning venom everywhere. Kha'Zix screeched as his body was burnt by the dark magic. Elise gritted her teeth and fired another Neurotoxin blast at him, causing him to stumble back into the river, blinded and in pain. "You should've just stayed in the shadows, you know. It's not polite to surprise a lady like that," Elise said as she flung dark webbing while firing more doses of Neurotoxin at the Voidreaver.

"You will die screaming!" he shrieked, charging forward, still blinded as venom seared his eyes. He crashed into Elise head-on, tackling her to the ground. With a monstrous roar he sank his fangs into her right arm.

Elise screamed as she felt his teeth puncture her flesh. "Get off of me!" she yelled. She grabbed the beast's neck with one hand and his jaw with the other, pushing him off with her legs. Kha'Zix fell back, splashing into the water. Elise grasped her bitten arm. Pain shot through it. It was a large wound and bled profusely. She glared at the beast, who was shaking his head in the river to wash away the venom in his eyes. "Do you know what happens to insects that face a spider?" she growled. Kha'Zix, his vision restored, looked up and hissed at her. Elise, in a burst of magic, turned into her spider form again. "Once tangled in the web, they are nothing but another meal," she said.

"Clever creature," Kha'Zix sneered, "But it is you who will be devoured!" He charged at Elise. The Spider Queen cast Rappel, letting the Voidreaver pass under her before diving back down. She sank her own fangs into Kha'Zix's back, her spiderlings leaping forward to attack as well. The Void-beast turned sharply, hitting Elise into the wall on the side of the river. He charged again, ignoring the spiderlings nipping at him, and pushed Elise into the wall. The two arthropods wrestled each other, scything claw slashing black exoskeleton, stiletto forelegs stabbing purple body, spines & venom shooting at each other.

Eventually though, Elise managed to get the advantage. In Skittering Frenzy, Elise charged in, relentlessly biting and stabbing at Kha'Zix, causing dark purple blood to spurt everywhere. The Voidreaver screeched and turned invisible just as he fell backwards. Elise looked around, expecting the beast to appear beside her at any moment. Instead, Kha'Zix appeared on the ramp leading out of the river. He snarled, stumbling into the bush behind the lizard camp. Elise, anger still coursing through her despite her own heavily-damaged state, pursued him into the bush. With a final Venomous Bite, she felt Kha'Zix's life slip away. However, the Voidreaver, his claws glowing with energy, managed to get another strike in that pierced through Elise's thorax.

Kha'Zix gave what sounded like half a gasp and half a shriek before falling back down, the light in his eyes going out. _"You have slain an enemy!" _Elise reverted back to her human form, grimacing. She clutched her side where Kha'Zix stabbed her and stumbled out of the bush. Damn insect, she thought grimly. The thing should've just stayed in its holding pen or whatever the League did with him and his –

Elise fell forward, the pain from the Voidreaver's last strike sending agony burning through her body like wildfire. She bled into the dirt and rolled onto her back, lying there for just two more seconds before she felt the blissful take of the summoning magic claiming her. "That little insect…" she gasped as the light descended upon her. _"You have been slain."_

Just before she was taken away to the painless nether regions that took in Champions when they perished on the Fields, she heard the announcer say _"Your team has destroyed an inhibitor."_ Took the crocodile long enough.

* * *

The battle was close, but in the end, Elise's team lost. Though her team managed to just barely survive against the enemies at bottom, bot's inhibitor was destroyed. While they were pushed back by super minions the enemies moved and took out mid's inhibitor and then made the final push towards the Nexus. Renekton could only bring the enemy's top nexus turret down to a quarter before he finally decided to recall and try to stop the enemy's advance. But even when he used his Dominus form and Elise had respawned, it was too little too late. The enemy focused their Nexus, and before Elise, it exploded in purple energy. The announcer proclaimed defeat for her team and they were taken to the after-battle room.

The two teams stared at each other from across the room on separate platforms. After the battle it was traditional to compliment the opponents' skills, if not enforced. Across from her, her enemy's look exhausted and worn down. Beside Elise, her allies looked the same if not worse. Despite this, Caitlyn and Taric were the first to say their condolences. Ashe and Sona returned the compliments warmly, and Elise's two allies took their leaves. After Renekton stormed off, Maokai and Elise stepped forward. Maokai sounded rough and bitter, but then again, he always did.

Elise walked down the row of her enemies, quietly saying "good game" to each of them. The last at the row was Kha'Zix. The Voidreaver was licking his claws, cleaning them of the feeling of blood on them. The blood of all the enemies he's slain. Elise's blood was on those scythe-like arms. She grimaced. "Good game," she said quietly to the beast. She never knew why she was expected to say this to creatures like him. Did the beast even comprehend anything she was saying? She doubted he didn't think of much of anything else besides food, "evolving", and his rivalry towards the Pridestalker. The Void-beast usually didn't even acknowledge the enemy after the battle, or if he did, it was a spiteful hiss or a look where he glared at you like you were dinner.

But Elise got a slightly different reaction from the beast. When she finished her commendation, the Void-beast stopped his cleaning and looked Elise straight in the eyes. His expression didn't hold one of malice or hunger, but of… Elise stared Kha'Zix back in the eyes. The Voidreaver's antennae twitched, but other than that, he was completely still. The Spider Queen eyed him suspiciously. He wasn't wearing his usual expressions; in fact, this was probably the …calmest…she had seen any Void creature been.

Kha'Zix leaned towards her, his eyes still locked with hers. His head tilted sideways, and Elise felt her own head mirror the movement. For a moment, she could only stare into his eyes. There was something in the way he stared at her. Something in the way his antennae moved, as if he were intently thinking. As the two stared at each other, the rest of the world seemed to melt away. It was only Elise looking deep into the Voidreaver's glowing eyes. It only lasted for a few seconds before summoning magic encircled the Void creature. She blinked as she snapped out of her trance. What was that? Elise looked at her other enemies, but they were already leaving. She looked back at Kha'Zix just as he was fading away to return to his containment room. He never stopped staring at Elise though, and even when he was gone from the room, the Spider Queen still felt his gaze on her.

* * *

Elise walked down the hall to her corridor. As she entered the darkened hallway, she felt the familiar presence of death around her. Although there were no formal rules saying it had to be like this, most Champions chose to occupy a space near others that came from their region. The Summoners encouraged this; they didn't want to risk conflict by mingling the living spaces of different regions. This section of the Institute was the one the denizens of the Shadow Isles claimed. It was on the lower levels, just a few floors above where the League kept its imprisoned Champions such as Nocturne and Brand.

When Champions were pulled out of the Fields after the battle was finished, they were restored to full health and any blemishes or stains acquired cleaned. However, Elise always still felt grimy afterwards, and she wanted nothing more than to go back to her room to try to get some rest. She touched the spot on her arm that Kha'Zix bit. Although the wound was gone and her arm repaired of any damage it may have sustained, Elise still felt the teeth of the Voidreaver embedded in her flesh. Her forehead creased. She hoped that her own bite into Kha'Zix was leaving a similar impression on him. Of course, the beast was probably just busy eating or grooming himself or whatever he and his kind did in their free time.

Elise approached her door and was about to enter when the door across from hers creaked open. "So, did you win the match?" a voice crept out.

Elise smirked. "No, Thresh. But were you just waiting for me to come back though?" she asked.

She turned to the Chain Warden, his back leaning on the doorframe. His arms were crossed under his chest while his lantern, resonating quiet screams and moans of torment, floated before him. He chuckled. "Indeed, Spider Queen. Mordekaiser told me to inform you of some…advances in the Shadow Isles' knowledge."

Elise raised an eye brow and leaned against her own doorframe. "Go on."

"Well, Mordekaiser acquired some interesting knowledge from a scholar from Piltover. Lovely young girl she was, sweet as can be. Her soul emanated such delightful tones when torn apart by agony. The only shame was that she wasn't resilient enough to keep going for more than ten seconds."

"Yes, that is lovely. But are you going to say what you wanted to tell me anytime soon?" Elise said, her fatigue growing. She just wanted to lie down.

Thresh grinned, pausing for a couple seconds, letting the silence eat away at the Spider Queen. He earned a sharp glare from her before he continued. "Well, my exquisite spider, we may have…underestimated our enemies' strengths. The magic on Valoran has grown exponentially since the Master of Metal first joined the League. There is a heavy amount of powerful energy emanating from this land that can drown out even our own. The scholar was studying it, but couldn't get much more information as to what it was."

Elise sighed. "All I want to know is if this will affect my offerings to Vilemaw."

"If this force continues to grow, as Mordekaiser said it was, it could contaminate the souls of the living, corrupting them and making them useless to the Shadow Isles. No souls, no subjugation." He looked at Elise. "Or beings to offer to your spider god."

She pondered this for a moment before nodding. "Thank you for telling me. Just deal with it before I lose my youth, okay?"

Thresh steadily nodded, looking her up and down. His gaze landed on her arm, the spot where Kha'Zix had bitten. The wound had healed, why was he fixated on there? "You took a nasty a blow there, didn't you?" he said.

Elise looked at him. "Yes. Why is it of concern to you though?"

The Chain Warden continued to stare at her arm. "Your soul, it has a…strange aura to it," he said, his voice distant in thought, "Who attacked you there? And with what?"

"The Voidreaver," she said after a moment, "He bit me. I suppose he couldn't help himself." Elise smirked at her own remark. Thresh, however, just looked at the spot. After a while, Elise started to go into her room. "Look, I'm exhausted from today's battle. I just want to get some rest."

Thresh snapped out of his fixation and looked at Elise in confirmation. "Of course, my exquisite spider. Have…sweet dreams…"

Elise turned and walked into her room, closing the door behind her. Thresh continued to look after her as the door swung shut.


	2. Chapter 2: Offering

Chapter 2: Offering

Elise opened her eyes from a dreamless sleep to view her dimly lit room. The only light came from a single ethereal bulb hanging in the center. It was morning the next day. She stretched and looked around. She had kept her room in the fairly standard state as to when she first came here, though webbing covered the walls and ceiling and dozens of spiderlings crawled around. She brought only a couple of things from her stash in the Shadow Isles, all of which were stored in a cocoon hanging in the corner.

She noticed her hand had moved to the spot Kha'Zix had bitten yesterday. There was no pain or any sensation from it; why was she still acknowledging it? She had never given wounds she sustained on the Fields much thought afterwards. She dismissed this and walked to her bathroom.

She moved to the sink, freshening up. After using a towel to wipe her face, she looked into the mirror. Dark red eyes stared back. She leaned over the sink, looking into the mirror for a solid minute. A spiderling crawled over her reflection and Elise suddenly blinked. Her stomach growled, causing her to clutch it. She had not eaten since yesterday morning. Sighing, she moved out.

The halls of the Institute were relatively quiet. This was usually the time when battles weren't typically scheduled. If the Fields were used for anything on this day at this hour; it was usually just for practice. Elise made her way to the Institute's large dining hall that fused with a lounge area. Large floating crystals that televised battles were mostly inactive. The place was quiet and fairly empty; most of the other Champions used this day to go home or attend to business elsewhere. In the dining hall, one table held some of the Noxian and Zaunite Champions. Mundo, Warwick, and Sion were scarfing down food. Talon and Katarina, sitting across from them, were playing with their knives on the table while talking about something. On another table across the room were the Ionians. Irelia and Karma were eating elegantly while discussing something relating to the politics of their city-state. In the longue, Annie and Amumu were playing on the floor with a set of dolls around a toy house. Tibbers, though still in his doll state, seemed to be keeping a vigilant eye over the two. Vi, legs propped up on a table, was watching some sports program while Caitlyn was busy scribbling something in a notebook in a chair beside her.

Elise approached the serving counter, looking at the menu. Nothing special today, just the standard burgers and salads and whatnot. Elise picked up a tray and placed a hamburger, a bowl of fruit, and a glass of water on it. She headed to and sat at a table at a far corner of the dining hall, silently eating her meal. She pondered what she should do today. Her most loyal disciples had been charged with maintaining her cult while she was in the League, but it had been quite a long time since any of them had seen her in person. She could pay a visit to them, she thought. The idea of traveling all the way to them, where she would undoubtedly be bombarded with questions, was exhausting to her though. What she really wanted to do was nothing. Just have a day where she wouldn't have to fight or worry or keep enduring her followers' pleas to meet their spider god. Just have a day where she could sit around and relax. The tension Elise felt had been lingering for several days. She felt tired and stressed and, as much as she tried to relax, couldn't banish this constant feeling of anxiety.

Elise finished her burger and fruit and was lazily sipping at her water when she heard an alien yet child-like voice ring through the dining hall. "So hungrrrryyyyy!" it whined. Elise, as well as the others in the area, looked to the dining hall entrance to see Kog'Maw hopping from one foot to the other as he looked at the food in here. Several guards were in front of him, trying to divert his attention. It was the Void-creature's "playtime". For two hours every day, if they were good, they could go outside and stretch their limbs in the yard behind the Institute. Malzahar had requested this and got his wish after settling it with a League battle against Kassadin, or so Elise heard. This practice was already in effect before she joined the League. Most Champions abandoned the yard around this time for this reason.

The Mouth of the Abyss continued to whine and looked at the guards before him, holding as close to an expression as he could of innocence and confusion, even if he knew full well why he couldn't go in. Though Elise wasn't in the League yet when this happened, she heard the stories. The last time Kog'Maw got into the dining hall, it took a full week to clean up the mess he made in here. None of the Void creatures were allowed in here to begin with, so security had to tighten up around these beasts. Kog'Maw continued to whine until a door to the kitchen opened. Six guys came out carrying a massive table of food, usually with the leftovers and stuff that had expired on it. Kog'Maw seemed to squeal with joy when they went into the halls to the yard, and he eagerly followed them. Elise sneered in disgust. That thing was never full, no matter how much he ate.

More guards passed and stomping followed. Though heavily armored, the guards proceeded by with extreme caution. They surrounded a massive red beast with glowing green eyes. Cho'Gath, his form blocking the entire dining hall door, lumbered by. Elise had faced the Terror of the Void many times before. Though incredibly destructive and possessing terrifying strength, he was also a very intelligent being. Even the Spider Queen, though she wouldn't say it to anyone, felt a sense of dread when she had to face him. Unlike his much smaller companion before, he walked by without acknowledging anything else, only looking straight ahead of him. What went on in his mind was anyone's guess; of course, Elise doubted anyone would actually want to know.

The third and final one was the Voidreaver. He stalked down the hall, his antennae twitching as he looked around. Elise felt her hand move to her arm again. She watched Kha'Zix, the way his eyes took in everything around him and how he sniffed the air at the scent of the other Champions in the dining hall. He paused for a second at the entrance and looked in. He bared his fangs at the Noxians and Ionians before one of the guards prodded him with a spear. The Voidreaver quickly turned around and snapped at the guard, causing them to stumble and fall to their back. Elise grinned. Six highly-trained enforcers were still scared to escort this one beast. Kha'Zix regarded them for a second, looked at each of the guards in turn. They readied their spears, but even from here Elise could sense their nervousness, especially when the Voidreaver locked eyes with them. Some of them looked like they would faint. Kha'Zix hissed and continued on his way outside. His gaze landed on Elise, and though he didn't stop walking, his expression changed drastically upon seeing her. For that second his eyes moved to her, his teeth drew back in and his antennae lowered. His entire body became less tense when his eyes met hers.

She blinked. Did Kha'Zix recognize her? She always sort of thought the Void-creatures viewed all the Champions more or less the same, or that they didn't comprehend them as individuals. But, the Voidreaver was acting weirdly when he and Elise last met. She was now gently rubbing her arm, still staring at the spot the beast was just at.

"Bunch of freaks," a rough female voice said. Katarina snorted and returned to her business. The others in the area went back to their own agendas, some giving a sign of agreement before they continued. All of them except for Elise. After a few more moments of sitting there clutching her arm, she drank the last of the water, put the tray on a counter near the trash bins, and headed out.

* * *

Elise walked down a hall, sitting at a window overlooking the Institute's yard. Light gray clouds covered the sky and a cold breeze flowed through the field. She could see from here a large force field in the distant, set up to prevent the Void-creatures from escaping. Below on the field she saw Kog'Maw gleefully rolling around in the grass…no…his own slime. The Void-creature wiggled his body in the green goo of his own making, covering his body with slime. Elise's eyes moved across the yard to the massive shape of Cho'Gath. The large monstrosity was standing beside the wall of building, looking towards the distant mountains. The only movements he made were the steady sway of his body and tail. Kha'Zix was nowhere to be seen, at least from Elise's position.

She looked back to Kog'Maw, absent-mindedly watching him run around the field in his jovial pursuit. Elise didn't know why she was here. Her mind had went into a trance-like state when she left the dining hall and the next thing she knew her legs were carrying her to this window. Now, as she stared out, her thoughts drifted by. She laid one leg up and crossed her arms under her chest. The trees in the yard swayed in the wind, the cool air causing some of the leaves to fall loose and blow around. The yard, even in this foggy weather, was still usually alive with birds or animals. Now there was barely any natural life in sight. With the presence of the Void-creatures, perhaps the natural life around found this upsetting and abandoned the area or hid when they were out. She didn't know for sure; she had never watched them in their free time. She got more than enough of them on the Fields of Justice.

Elise had been wondering about these Void-beasts though. She had heard rumors about them; some believed them to be Zaunite experiments under the codename V.O.I.D set loose, others said they were of species from uncharted regions of Valoran. But the majority, including Elise, knew, or at least strongly believed in, the common conception about them. Creatures from another dimension, a realm of dark and terrible abominations not meant for Runeterran minds. Perhaps a realm just as dark and cold as the Shadow Isles, if not more. Only a few, who were either too stringent of too afraid to accept such a reality, clung to the former two rumors. How the Void-creatures crossed over into this realm was beyond anyone's guess though. And whatever plans they had, well, that wasn't given much thought. Apart from the ramblings of Kassadin, Malzahar, and a few others; most were too busy with their own agendas that were more tangible and less absurd then the invasion of a race of oversized bugs. Elise herself had only done minimal study of this, slightly attracted to the prospect that creatures similar in appearance to her spider god may exist. But apart from skimming through a theory-book about the Void and listening to half a speech from Kassadin about how they had to rally together to vanquish "the consuming darkness", Elise hadn't delved any further into this Void matter. She, like most, only knew the basics which were already questionable and hazy at best.

Her gaze drifted across the field again. Kog'Maw was still rolling around in his own slime puddle while Cho'Gath was staring off into space in the exact same spot. Elise let out a breath of air and suddenly found the urge to go down to the yard herself. Though there were no limitations for others to go outside while the Void-creatures were free, Elise could not recall anyone besides Malzahar that did so. Well, no limitations except on Kassadin and Rengar, both to enforce the rule that Champions could not fight each other outside the Fields. Kassadin, that mad man, wouldn't hesitate to try to strike down any of the three Void-beasts, and Elise knew the extent of Kha'Zix and Rengar's aggression towards each other. Elise remembered easily winning a match once because a pair of idiot Summoners on the opposing team thought it'd be a good idea to use the two together. The two could not work with each other even if their lives depended on it, which it did more often than not in that match. Their team surrendered as soon as they could because of that. Elise, after that battle, could only laugh at how dysfunctional that team was and how easy it was to win.

She walked down a flight of stairs and down another long hall to arrive at the doors to the field. Several guards looked at her in surprise and confusion, but didn't say anything as they let her through. She walked through the large doors to the outside, immediately hit by the cold breeze. Although not rough, the chill it carried still would've caused most others to hesitate before proceeding. Compared to the winds of the Shadow Isles though, this was nothing, and Elise walked forward calmly. She passed Cho'Gath, who turned to glare at her as she walked by. The Terror of the Void, though didn't growl or bare his teeth or anything, still gave her a menacing look. A look that, if the chill in the wind didn't send one back, this would. Still, apart from his head, he didn't move, and when Elise continued on ignoring him as best she could he resumed to staring off towards the foggy mountains.

Elise scanned the area. The table of food the kitchen staff brought out was covered in green goo and all the contents gone. Out in the distance, Kog'Maw had grown tired and was lying in the grass, panting. Beyond was a forest, a thicket of trees swaying back and forth. Her legs automatically took her there, even if her mind didn't know why. Then again, she didn't exactly know why she was out here to begin with. Several reasons, or more accurately excuses, ran through her head. Eventually, she settled on one that made the most sense to her. She wanted to find the Voidreaver to try to understand why he would stare at her so unusually. When she passed Kog'Maw, he looked at her as well, though with curiosity rather than with the malice Cho'Gath had shown her. Even with that monstrous face, his expression was the perfect example of the reaction Elise would be giving if she was someone else watching her right now. She felt his eyes following her before, with a joyful snort, he turned to chase something through the grass.

When Elise crossed into the tangle of trees, she summoned three spiderlings. She mentally told them to spread out, keeping an eye out for the Voidreaver. They looked confused for a moment, but they chittered in compliance and moved through the trees. Elise continued walking, her eyes moving through the woods for any sign of the mantis-like creature. After a few moments of getting no sign from him herself, one of her spiderlings came back. From atop a branch, it chirped excitedly. Elise looked at it and followed, the spiderling quickly moving through the foliage to lead its mistress to what was hopefully her target.

Elise smelled it in the air as she walked along. Blood. A familiar scent to her, although this shade of blood was different. Not of a human or yordle or any sentient creature. A wild animal kill. The spiderling sat on a tree, cheeping. Elise stepped through a bush into a clearing. In the middle of it was Kha'Zix, crouching over a dead deer with his head digging into its underside. A wet, slimy sound emanated from it as Kha'Zix tore and chewed at the mangled flesh. Elise was no stranger to death, but she would've pitied anyone if they ended up like this animal. The Spider Queen fully came out of the bush, and at this Kha'Zix lifted his head, a piece of red meat still hanging in his jaw as he turned to look at Elise.

The two stared at each other for a moment. The calm look that Kha'Zix showed yesterday to her after the battle returned. Elise found herself staring into his eyes again, unmoving. The Void-creature's antennae steadily moved up and down; his head though remained still. After several seconds rolled by, Elise spoke. "I wanted to find you." Immediately, she mentally rolled her eyes. Could she say a more obvious statement at this moment?

Kha'Zix continued to stare at her, sucking up the meat in his jaws. He started moving his head now, tilting it but never shifting his gaze away from her. "It's about yesterday," Elise said, still staring into the Voidreaver's eyes, "You did something…strange….after the battle was over."

Kha'Zix shifted his weight, now turning to fully face her. He was silent. Elise inhaled before continuing. "After yesterday's battle, you started staring at me like…this. You remember, right?"

"Yes," Kha'Zix hissed. The sound chilled Elise, although not because she found it threatening. It was because of how eerily calm it was. And also, something else in his voice she had never heard a Void-creature emote.

"Why?" Elise asked, "Why are you looking at me like this?"

Another moment of silent passed between the two. Elise didn't know if she should ask the question again or brace for a sudden attack. Red cunning eyes stared at green piercing ones. His eyes were still alien, but there was a way their borders were creased that seemed utterly…human. Kha'Zix, continuing to look at her - no, into her - stood up from crouching. He was several inches taller than Elise even with her long, stiletto legs; she could tell the height difference even from the few meters separating them.

The Voidreaver took a few steps closer, and despite his appearance, Elise didn't feel threatened. He was relaxed when he came over, his body loose as opposed to when she always saw him on the Fields ready for battle. But there was also something else in his body language. Hesitancy, curiosity. He leaned forward, antennae twitching in short, rhythmic patterns. She couldn't stop staring into those eyes. Gone were their usual aggressive stare, now only a look of serenity. Any wonderments of why she was out here disappeared, replaced only by her curiosity in the Voidreaver's actions. Nothing else mattered; she just wanted to know why he did what he was doing. "There's a different view to you," he said, his naturally sinister voice sounding like he was in deep thought.

Elise blinked. What? She turned her head slightly. "I don't understand…" she said slowly. There was movement behind Kha'Zix. Elise looked away from the Void-creature's eyes to see her other two spiderlings crawling behind and chirping at him.

Kha'Zix turned his attention away from Elise for the first time since she arrived to look at them as well. They chittered aggressively at him, skittering forward with their forelegs raised. Their mistress mentally scolded them though for disturbing them before insuring them she was in no harm. They paused, retreating a little at this but not taking their eyes off the Void-creature.

"Yours," Kha'Zix said as he continued to look at the two, a statement rather than a question.

"Hm? Oh, yes. I'm sorry for them interrupting…" Elise stopped as it came to her as to what she was saying. Interrupting what? The feeling she felt when they came; she felt they were intruding on something private. She supposed they were, but her reaction when they came was strange. It's not like she wouldn't think the Voidreaver was about to attack if she walked into a situation like this, given what he was.

Kha'Zix turned even more, looking back at the deer he killed. He then looked at Elise again, though this time his eyes wandered down her body. "You were in the eating area earlier," he said. Elise nodded. "The food they provided is insufficient in quantity and nutrients," he continued. He unfolded his wings and hovered back to go behind the corpse. With one smooth cleave of his claw; he sliced off one of the legs of the deer and looked at her. "This would be better to aid in the growth of your strength."

Elise's forehead creased. "Are you…offering me that?"

"Yes," Kha'Zix hissed. This time it had the air of…generosity to it?

What was going on? Elise looked around, wondering if this was one of Leblanc's tricks again. Why would Kha'Zix be offering a part of his kill to her? Why would he care about Elise's "strength"? But Elise couldn't vocalize her questions. Her mind went blank as she returned to staring at Kha'Zix crouching behind the body.

"Um, thank you," was all she could produce. She walked over and bent down on her knees before him to pick up the leg. The Voidreaver had cleanly sliced through the tendons and bone, making a near-perfect cut of the piece of meat. Her spiderlings moved in with curiosity, though more at the potential of the meal their mistress was holding than the actual strangeness of the situation.

Kha'Zix continued to stare at her. He made a low sound, somewhat like a hiss, but it wasn't aggressive. Elise recognized it; it was a similar sound her spiderlings made when they would kill an enemy on the Fields. He was pleased.

The bizarre nature of this scenario struck her, and she bolted up off her knees and stood up, backing away. She felt a flush of color enter her face. She had seen tortured specters and haunting enigmas that would drive even the strongest-willed man insane. Yet this, this entire situation, was too bizarre even for her. Elise stumbled back, still holding the leg. Kha'Zix only stared at her, his antennae now twitching as he was trying to determine her reaction. "Thank you," Elise repeated, holding up the leg, "But I, uh, have to attend to something." She tried to think of something, but she could only focus of the Void-creature's eyes. Her mouth hung open as she tried to find and form the words. Anything, anything will do! Then she remembered. "I have to see my followers!" she stammered, still moving back, "I mean people I know. That listen to me. That follow me. That… I…I have to go to them, right now!"

Kha'Zix made another sound. It was quiet and reserved. Elise continued to walk back. "Thank you," she said for the third time. After a few more seconds, she turned around and hurried through the trees, not looking back.

* * *

_She looked into their eyes. There was no regret in them; they only wanted to help her. To aid her in her studies. People already thought she was delusional for doing this. To study a realm of specters, a realm thought to only exist in horror stories. But she was obsessed. She wanted to, no, needed to explore this place. The Shadow Isles. But she had no means of doing so, no resources to turn to or anyone to support her. The others cast her aside for the freak she was. Her guardians attempted to steer her away, then discarded of her in disgust when they couldn't. There was no one, except for them. The one who, enthralled, had given her what she needed without a second thought. She couldn't return the favor, but they didn't care. She looked into their eyes; bright, olive-green eyes. There was no regret in them, only tranquility._

* * *

Elise lay on her bed, absent-mindedly weaving silk between her fingers. In a compartment filled with ice sat the deer leg Kha'Zix had… She didn't want to think about the action. After Elise had left, she quickly made her way back to the Institute, ignoring Kog'Maw and Cho'Gath as she rushed by them. When she had tried to enter, the guards had to stop her though to examine the deer leg. Although Champions were not forbidden to bringing objects into the Institute, they had to be examined in case it presented a danger to the League and its members outside the Fields. The deer leg had passed as just that, a piece of meat. No contaminations or biological augmentations. The guards had given her a funny look though, no doubt wondering where she got this and/or why she would want it. Despite what she was as well as where she just came from though, she was relieved they didn't ask any questions. Some of the kitchen staff offered to clean and cut it up for her, but Elise just wanted something to store it in and they settled to give her the icebox she had now.

The spiderlings in the room crawled and hung around the meat curiously. If Elise allowed them to, they would probably be complaining about how the cold was robbing the meat of its flavor. She sighed. She had spent another day not revisiting her cult, or doing anything productive for that matter. As soon as she got back to her room with the icebox, she had gone to lie on her bed and simply stared at the ceiling for the rest of the day. Her mind went through a dozen thoughts at once, trying to think of anything _but_ her meeting with the Voidreaver.

What did the Void-creature want? Was there some underlying plan to this? Why would something like him care about plans like that then? Could he even think of and execute an idea of the sorts? If Kha'Zix had simply offered the meat for no reason like that, and he had given it to her for the simple reason that it would "aid in the growth of her strength" – a gift - then it would've been a long time since someone had given Elise something without wanting anything in return. But the Void-beast was a predator. Sentient, cunning, and intelligent; yes, but still driven only by instinct from what she witnessed of him. How would he even be capable of doing something like this? How could he – Elise shook her head. No, she didn't want to think about this! She knew this was going down a road she had already put behind her. If she didn't want to think about Kha'Zix doing this, however bizarre it was, there was no way in hell she would go back to something else this was reminding her of. She exhaled loudly, clasping her hands together and closing her eyes, trying to forget about the events that transpired today.


	3. Chapter 3: Hunting Field

**Okay, so as with any fan fiction writing I'm taking some liberties that deviate slightly from the actual canon. **

**In the lore, I think that even though Kha'Zix and Rengar are rivals there's an air of respect each one has for the other. In my story, their relationship is just pure, unadulterated aggression. Also, the Fields of Justice may be slightly bigger then proportional to the actual gameplay-wise map.**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Hunting Field

Elise sat in the dining hall reading a small book. Outside was a heavy rainstorm, the clouds from the past few days heralding these dark ones. It had been a week since her meeting with the Voidreaver. She had not yet eaten the meat in her room, but she would sometimes find herself in the middle of the night running her fingers along the dampened fur. She had not seen Kha'Zix ever since that day as well, except for maybe a glimpse of him as he was being escorted outside. She felt funny at the thought of him. Though she could say truthfully she had no wish to see the Void-creature, she also felt she had to meet with him again. Elise's brow furrowed. It was probably just the tension from the past few days. She only felt a little more relieved these days, though not by much.

She closed her book to look up at the floating crystals hovering around the dining hall televising the current battle. One of the crystals was following Cho'Gath as he was striking the second turret in purple's top lane. A crystal beside it was following Garen as he was heading top to try to stop the Terror of the Void. The turret collapsed though and Cho'Gath began to recall. However, just as the teleportation spell was about to complete, Garen came out of the jungle and thrust his sword into the beast. A group of Demacians sitting at a table gasped as the Might of Demacia fought the Terror of the Void. The two tanks bashed each other, but after several moments of battle, Garen made a heavy slash to Cho'Gath's face, slicing off a tusk and sending the beast reeling.

"DEMACIA!" Garen shouted, bringing his sword down when it seemed Cho'Gath was badly crippled. A large projection of a sword shot down from the heavens, illuminating the area in a flash of light when it collided with the Void-creature. The table of Demacians cheered, but it lasted only for a few seconds. When the light and dust settled, Cho'Gath still stood, badly scarred but still breathing. Fear entered Garen's eyes.

Before the Might of Demacia could run, Cho'Gath's jaws unhinged and opened to an incredible size. The monstrous jaws lunged forward and grabbed Garen's upper body, lifting the warrior into the air. With a sickening crunch, Garen's mangled waist and legs fell to the ground as the rest of his body was swallowed by the gargantuan Void-beast. _"Cho'Gath has slain Garen!" _Cho'Gath licked his jaws, which reverted back to its original size, and roared to the skies.

When Elise looked over to the Demacian table, she couldn't help to suppress a grin. Their horrified faces were priceless. That was the final kill, as Cho'Gath's team pushed in and took down the Nexus. Some of Champions immediately burst into conversation about the battle, talking about how good or bad some of the plays were, what the Champions in the match should've done, and what they would've done if they were in the fight. In a far corner, Elise caught sight of Malzahar chuckling.

The crystals ended proclaiming the blue side's victory. Elise smirked and went back to her book. Today was quite the busy day. It was only noon and already this was the second battle. It was one of Demacia and Noxus' usual quarrels over land; a best two-out-of-three matchup, and the second round just went to Noxus. Both sides were evenly matched now and so the coming round would be the tiebreaker.

Elise, as well as the others, looked to the door as most of the other Champions from the last match came in, looking like they would fall over at any moment. Match marathons like these usually rotated through their Champion roster, letting each one get a break lest the Summoners wanted to use the same exhausted Champion again in the next battle. In the first round it was Quinn, Soraka, Lux, Jarvan, and Xin Zhao against Draven, Blitzcrank, Katarina, Darius, and Nocturne. The Demacian team got a decisive victory when Xin managed to shut down Draven in a large team fight while Jarvan trapped both Katarina and Nocturne in a Cataclysm pit, leaving them at the mercy of Quinn and Lux. With the highest damage-dealers on their team gone, and Soraka healing any damage they sustained, the Noxians didn't stand a chance as their enemies pushed in and destroyed their Nexus. Of course, the Noxian table threw a fit while the Demacians cheered.

The battle that just played had employed Vayne, Leona, Anivia, Garen, and Lee Sin on the Demacian team while Noxus chose Twitch, Thresh, Swain, Cho'Gath, and Warwick. The battle was a constant tug-of-war, with no side having the definite advantage over the other for the first thirty minutes. However, Cho'Gath got four kills in a row, and once fed and grown to such immense size he was nearly unstoppable. Tanking the hits while Thresh disrupted the enemies, Warwick with Swain locked down Vayne, and Twitch shot from behind; the Demacian team crumbled and they were unable to stand up against the Noxian's forces.

Summoner's Rift, drenched in rain, was restored and ready for the next set of Champions. The crystals showed Demacian and Noxian Summoners ready to pick their contenders. Everyone waited in anticipation for the names to be announced. The Demacians made the first pick. A light shot down and on the screen Varus stood, holding his medallion. Though his face seemed impassive, Elise could tell just beneath his eyes he was brimming with rage and anticipation. On the Noxian platform Graves was summoned. He loaded his shotgun menacingly, though Varus responded with a quick extension of his living bow. Zyra then went to stand beside Graves while Nunu and Ryze went to the Demacian platform.

One of the Noxian Summoners stepped forth. "Our next Champion will be Elise, the Spider Queen." A moment went by and Elise felt the summoning magic grab onto her. She shut her book and stored it away, closing her eyes as her body was pulled forth. When she opened her eyes she was standing in a large room between the Demacian and Noxian platforms along with Singed. Without a sound she took her place beside Zyra and Graves. She felt her Summoner's spells: Flash and Smite. So she would be jungling. Across from her, Nasus materialized for jungle while Rengar was chosen for top. Interesting, Elise thought. Was the Demacian roster really that low? Behind her, her side's Summoners were in deep discussion about this, talking about the choosing of the Pridestalker. She was already plotting her stratagems to deal with their team composition, but just as she started to finalize her general plans the last Noxian Summoner stepped forth, though his voice was shaky and hesitant. "We pick Kha'Zix, the Voidreaver, as our final Champion."

At the mention of the name, Rengar's face immediately contorted into an expression of pure aggression and hatred, and he roared as the summoning light brought in the Void-creature. As soon as Kha'Zix arrived, the Voidreaver gave off a chilling screech at the Pridestalker. The other Champions in the room either backed away or shifted in discomfort. Elise's mouth hung open and she blinked as she watched the two of them howl at each other. The only thing that stopped them was the summoning magic to take them all to the Fields.

* * *

Elise and her team arrived on the purple platform. She looked around to Kha'Zix, who was breathing heavily. "He must die," he growled, "I will feast on Rengar!" Elise wanted to say something to the Voidreaver, but before she could even say his name he got his items and was already off down the middle lane. Her allies looked uneasy, but wordlessly bought their items and moved to their lanes. She turned back to Kha'Zix's direction. Please don't do anything stupid, Elise thought. She could feel the voracious rage resonate off of him even just standing next to the Voidreaver though. She didn't want to know what his Summoner was feeling.

Why did she care though? She settled on the conclusion that she didn't want to meet an embarrassing defeat just because the Voidreaver was too obsessed with his rivalry with the Pridestalker. Even as she told herself though, she knew it was a lie.

She felt her Summoner nudge her to get a Hunters Machete and some Health Potions. A female voice entered her head. _Are you alright, Spider Queen? _

Elise grimaced. _Yeah._ She quickly bought her items and moved towards the ancient golem. Graves and Zyra were already waiting there. Kha'Zix was near the river, growling in the bush.

As they waited, her Summoner entered her thoughts. _Elise, I am Summoner Arcaia. We have yet to become familiar with each other, but I feel that over the next few days we can become quite acquainted. I have been following your work for some time and I-_

_Wait, you are not familiar with my style and yet you summoned me for this match? _Elise was not about to take orders from someone she's never met before in this high-stakes battle. Especially with the Voidreaver facing the Pridestalker.

_Well, yes, I've never used you in a summoning before. But I've seen what you can do, and have studied for a long time. I would wish to-_

_Summoner Arcaia, since you are new to me, allow me to lay down some basic rules between us. I do not appreciate a Summoner who constantly interrupts me in a battle; I am not a mindless puppet like some other Champions. I can decide for myself what to do best._

_Yes, I'm sure of that, but as your Summoner it is my duty to direct you on the best course of action that will take us to victory._

The Spider Queen grimaced. _As my Summoner, it is your duty to give me suggestions and represent your faction. Ultimately I will decide what to do and when to do it._

_Elise, you are-_

_So if you would be so kind to, please refrain from entering my mind unless I acknowledge you or-_ Elise wanted to add "or if Kha'Zix encounters the Pridestalker", but something held her back. She felt the Summoner attempt to speak to her again. Elise quickly regained her composure. _Or if there is a gank being attempted._

A pause for a few seconds, but Arcaia wasn't intimidated. Nevertheless, she did comply. _I will interrupt you only if I feel your actions will hinder us from obtaining victory._

_Then I'll make sure not to jeopardize our success._

Elise closed the mental link, not waiting to see if Arcaia would further respond. As the ancient golem came close to spawning, Elise looked over to Kha'Zix in the bush. He was still growling, fangs bared and antenna twitching rapidly. He was breathing heavily while stabbing and running his claws through the mud. The heavy rain didn't have any effect on him, unlike the others who were shielding themselves from the relentless batter or shivering. A thought that would usually disturb Elise came to her. Now, she didn't know what to make of it, but she knew what it was. She was worried for the Voidreaver's wellbeing in a way that was different than him from just being her ally in this match.

"Please, for the sake of Vilemaw, don't do anything foolish," she said under her breath just as the ancient golem spawned. Graves and Zyra shot at it, causing Elise to snap back from looking at Kha'Zix and take down the jungle monster.

* * *

The first few minutes of the game, though tense, were relatively uneventful. It seemed that both sides were avoiding any sort of team fight. In fact, it seemed both sides were trying to steer Kha'Zix and Rengar away from each other. Elise remembered the last fight where the two were pitted against each other. She didn't bother to watch much of it, but the glimpse she caught was a massive team fight at mid. Kha'Zix and Rengar slaughtered anyone that got in their way to get to each other. Allies or enemies; neither mattered to them. Rengar shoved his allies to the ground and batted away any other enemy that tried to attack him, as did Kha'Zix. The match, though regarded as one of the most exciting to date, came at a heavy cost. Not only did the other eight Champions have various lasting impressions, but Kha'Zix and Rengar's Summoners had to be hospitalized for a few days due to the extreme mental strain it had on them. Since then, employing both the Voidreaver and the Pridestalker together was cautioned against, though used if the battle was as meaningful as this and the Summoners needed the fiercest fighters at their command.

Elise, in spider form, traveled between the jungle camps taking out the small monsters. The only thing that happened was when Graves got first blood on Nunu when the Yeti Rider's Summoner felt a momentary disruption with him, causing Nunu and Willump to go into shock for a few seconds. If the Demacians weren't accusing the Noxians of foul play, then getting a kill like this was generally considered dull. Whenever she crossed mid lane, she looked down, taking note of everything. Kha'Zix was felling minion after minion, dodging a shot or two Ryze was brave enough to try to throw at the Voidreaver. A few ganks were attempted by her throughout the lanes, but none of them resulted in any progress besides making the enemy miss out on a couple of minion kills. She ignored her Summoner's feelings of disapproval.

Elise had just taken out the third set of wraiths that spawned in her spider form and was buying an item when she heard an alarm from Singed. _Rengar is missing in action. Has been for some time. May be heading down._

What?! Elise quickly bought her items and headed down the middle lane. Though she and her team didn't hear Kha'Zix, through the mental connection they all shared they felt his resentment instantly grow at this remark. The Voidreaver hissed and headed towards top, letting Ryze kill minions freely under his turret. Elise swore before sending a direct message to him. _Kha'Zix, stay in your lane. I'll check for a possible gank. _No reply as she felt the Voidreaver continue his course. _Kha'Zix, get back to your lane. Kha'Zix? Kha'Zix!_

_Do not disturb me._

Elise's eyes widened. She picked up the pace. _Singed, I'm heading to the river. Meet us there; Kha'Zix won't be strong enough to take on Rengar, Nasus, and Ryze if they decide to get the jump on him._

_And leave the minions to push my lane?_

Elise growled. _Yes, you imbecile! Head down to the river now!_

She heard the Mad Chemist swear at her before reluctantly heading to the river. Elise didn't care; she could only focus on getting to Kha'Zix before he met with Rengar.

She got to the ramp leading down and saw Kha'Zix in the shrub in the middle of the river. He was snarling at movement just beyond the fog of war at the ramp leading to the blue team's golem. Elise quickly joined him in the bush. The Voidreaver didn't seem to notice. "Don't go in alone; none of us can afford that yet," Elise whispered to him.

If he heard her, he didn't pay heed to it. Elise looked at him. The anger resonating from him was strong. His form tensed, ready to spring at the slightest enemy movement. Antennae stood erect, sensing for any disturbance in the area. "I'm going to check the brush over there in case Ryze or Nasus attempt a counter-gank," Elise said, indicating the ramp to the blue side's jungle. Again, Kha'Zix didn't seem to take notice. Elise sighed and swiftly moved into the brush at the ramp. In the tribush beside the Baron pit, she sensed Singed waiting, though could feel his urge to go back to top to deal with the minions that were now grouped under his turret.

Several long seconds of silence crept by. Where was the Pridestalker? Did he know of this ambush and was he waiting for the moment to strike as well? Suddenly, a shape moved down the ramp from the ancient golem. Kha'Zix immediately leapt from his hiding spot at it. Elise shifted to her human form and moved in, conjuring a Volatile Spiderling. The figure fell over as Kha'Zix tackled him. Elise's spiderling and Singed's glue pinned them down. The enemy died in an instant.

"_An enemy has been slain!"_

Elise came over, panting. Kha'Zix reared back, snarled, and left, moving past the Spider Queen as he went back to mid. Elise looked after him. Thought he would savor the kill more, she thought. She looked back down to the body of…Nasus?! The Curator of the Sands' body slowly sank into the mud. Elise looked at Singed before they sensed movement entering top lane. Elise went into the brush at the top of the river with Singed and saw Rengar darting between the brushes before heading back to his turret, apparently spotting the two down at the river.

Elise sighed. _Arcaia, show me the items of all Champions we've seen thus far._

The Summoner mentally projected what was revealed that each Champion bought. Rengar had just acquired a B.F. Sword.

"So his absence was because…" Singed started, having his Summoner give him the same information as well.

Elise gave Singed a hard glare and exhaled sharply. Before he could say another word, Elise shifted into her spider form and went back to the purple side's jungle.

* * *

The next several minutes went about the same as the first few. Kha'Zix and Rengar had still not met yet. Elise was starting to think that, with clever maneuvering, they could have them avoid conflict altogether. But even as she hoped for it, she knew it would be inevitable the two would clash. Kha'Zix was just about ready to start roaming, as was Rengar. Once the laning phase was done, the two would relentlessly hunt each other down. Every time Elise had passed by Kha'Zix, she could feel his anticipation growing. She had just started taking out the wolves again when the announcer's voice echoed across the Field.

"_A turret has been destroyed!"_

Blue's middle turret went down. "Damn," Elise murmured. With his enemy's turret destroyed and his minions still pushing, Kha'Zix, as expected, immediately went for top. Singed had just recalled and Rengar was pushing back the minion wave. Elise quickly took down the wolves with a Volatile Spiderling and went towards top, even as Graves was requesting a gank against a pushing Varus and Nunu.

His voice came into her head. _What the hell are you doing, Elise?_

_Just hold on for a minute or so, Outlaw. I need to attend to something._

_We need you at bot! Varus and Nunu are goin to take out our turret!_

_Just hold on for a minute!_

_This fucking jungler… _Elise could feel Graves's frustration. But all that mattered to her was that she get to Kha'Zix though.

Arcaia entered her mind now. _Elise, bottom lane needs you right now. Singed and Kha'Zix are too far to provide assistance._

Elise glared. _I told you not to interrupt me, Summoner._

_For the sake of the team, they need you at bot. They're going to lose the turret if you don't go!_

_Stay quiet let me do what I need to do._

Elise felt a mental pain. She stopped, grabbing her head. Her Summoner was trying to force her to go bot. This was something used only when they felt they needed to subdue their Champion. It worked except on the fiercest and most determined. Arcaia's voice came through the pain. _They need you, Spider Queen. As your Summoner, I demand that you go there now!_

Elise gritted her teeth. Kha'Zix was halfway up the river. She sensed Rengar pause for a second before disappearing into the top brush. He knew. Elise took a couple steps forward. The pain intensified. _Elise, our bottom turret is at half-health! Zyra has just perished and Graves is greatly wounded! Go there now!_

Elise growled, taking another step forward. She would be damned if she was letting Kha'Zix go at the Pridestalker alone. The Voidreaver had just entered the bush at the top of the river. Elise took several more steps forward.

_ELISE!_

A blinding pain overtook the Spider Queen. She cried out and stumbled forward, falling to the ground in mid lane. The pain in her head was unbearable. She felt like a Volatile Spiderling was just beneath her skull, swelling to burst. She groaned in agony, her eyes shutting tight. But still, she defied her Summoner. _Bot is lost; accept it! Now get out of my head!_

And that's when she sensed it. Kha'Zix and Rengar had just met in battle. The emotions that flowed through them burst out like a shockwave when their weapons clashed, rippling across the field to every Champion here through the mental link. They could feel the passion, the fury, the hatred, the overwhelming desire to claim the other's life. This outburst affected the Summoners too, as Elise could feel Arcaia's surprise at this. The blinding pain in Elise's head lessened, and she opened one eye and dragged herself forward.

She could sense Kha'Zix fighting as fiercely as ever. She had never felt any other Champion with as much resentment and determination as he had at this moment. Not even Tryndamere or Renekton could compare to this. This was more than just anger. This was the ultimate in ravenous resolve. Kha'Zix would do anything if it meant he brought the Pridestalker down.

Though the pain in her head was still present, Elise was now able to crawl on her knees. She had just approached the top of the ramp leading down into the river when she felt her body feel like it aged thousands of years in a second. She let out a gasp and collapsed, both from the mental pain and the suddenness of this sensation. Nasus stepped out of the brush behind the lizard camp wearing a grim expression. He spun his staff in the air and a burning pain now engulfed Elise's body. A circle of purple flame erupted around her. Elise curled into a ball; it was all she could do from letting out a tortured cry.

_Will you fucking let me go already!_ Elise was in a rage now, and she felt Arcaia's shock at this hitting her like a train. Elise had managed to keep a fairly calm, if not vicious, composure since she entered the League. Nobody could recall if Elise had ever broken out like this.

But the message got through. The agony in Elise's head ceased, but she didn't have time to enjoy it. The Spider Queen got up and stumbled out of the Spirit Flame, even if her withered state preventing it her from getting out as quickly as she wanted to. She had just gotten to her feet and was about to fire a dose of Neurotoxin at Nasus when a blue prism formed around her, followed by a searing burst to her back. Elise fell against the wall of her cage and looked behind her. Ryze was running up to her, conjuring a blue orb. Elise turned sharply and launched a cocoon at him, stopping the Rogue Mage dead in his tracks.

Nasus loomed over her, his staff glowing. Elise fired a dose of poison at him and he stumbled back from the sudden burning. The cage around her faded, and as soon as it did, Elise sent a Volatile Spiderling at Ryze. The Rogue Mage barely had time to comprehend what the shape at his feet was before it exploded. Combined with the Liandry's Torment item, the venom burned the skin off Ryze. He cried out and staggered back.

Just as Elise turned back to Nasus, the Curator made a swing forward, knocking her into the river. She felt several bones in her ribcage crack and she grimaced in pain. She wiped her mouth, a thin stream of blood starting to leak out. Nasus, his chest burning from the venom, glared at her. "This is the end of your cycle," he said, hitting her with his staff. She let out a gasp. The force of the blow nearly knocked the breath out of her. Combined with the lifestealing properties, she nearly blacked out. Ryze hobbled forward, charging a bolt of magic in his hand.

"No," Elise said, conjuring up any poison she had in her reserves. With a yell, she launched it at Ryze. The Rogue Mage, hit by another burning blast, screamed and let the charge go in a random direction. Elise used her legs to topple Nasus, sending him falling beside her. She rolled to her side, summoning another Volatile Spiderling. It blew up in his face, and after an agonized moan, he slumped into the river.

"_You have slain an enemy!"_

She then sat up and turned to Ryze. The Rogue Mage had fallen into the river, his body singed with burning poison. He was reaching behind him for his book. Elise glared and lunged forward. She fell on top of Ryze, pinning his arms down. The Rogue Mage gritted his teeth and glared back. Elise reared back her head and spat venom in his eyes. As Ryze yelled, Elise raised her clawed fingers and brought them down, slashing the man's throat.

"_Double kill!"_

Elise rolled onto her back, gasping. She could feel Arcaia's surprise. But neither her Summoner's thoughts nor her double kill mattered to her. She could still feel Kha'Zix battling Rengar. No, she could feel Kha'Zix's pain as he continued to fight. Elise rolled again onto her knees and stumbled forward. The rainstorm had gotten worse. Thunder echoed across the sky as Elise made her way past the Baron's pit. She leaned up against the wall leading to the tribush, clutching her sides.

Through the heavy downpour, she saw them, and her eyes widened. Kha'Zix was lurching forward, large open wounds pouring out blood. His right arm hung loosely at his side and his wings were torn to ribbons. Behind him, Rengar was hobbling after him. Huge scars crossed his body, his left leg was being dragged behind, and multiple spines were embedded in him. The two pulled their way through the tribush into the jungle, oblivious of Elise's presence. She bent forward, gasping. _Arcaia, get me behind Rengar now!_

_Are you sure…?_

_Just do it!_

There was a moment of hesitation, but Elise found herself flashed directly behind the Pridestalker in the next instant. He raised an arm above his head, about to make a crippling blow to Kha'Zix who was heading to the bush behind the lizard camp. Elise launched a glob of webbing forward. Rengar cried out in surprise as he suddenly couldn't move. Kha'Zix stumbled into the bush, going out of sight. The Pridestalker yelled in rage and turned to see Elise barely able to stand behind him.

"You wretched creature!" he yelled, his voice gargled and spraying blood. He knocked the Spider Queen down, where, drained of energy, she could only lay feebly on her side. Rengar raised his hunting axe. She closed her eyes.

But instead of feeling a blade slice through her body, she heard Rengar scream. She opened her eyes to see him leaning forward on the ground beside her, a fresh set of spines tearing into his back. Kha'Zix came charging out of the bush, claws glowing with purple energy again. With a distorted shriek, he brought them down on the Pridestalker. Rengar howled in pain for several seconds. The light in his eyes faded and he collapsed on the ground.

"_An enemy has been slain!"_

Panting, Elise looked over the body at Kha'Zix. He was taking in the corpse of his rival and, after a moment, he gave out a screech to the skies. It seemed that everything fell silent to listen to him at that moment; even the sound of rain and thunder paused before his victory. A wave of triumph emanated from Kha'Zix. It was a feeling not quite of enjoyment, but of hunger being satisfied. Elise felt a smile form on her face and she sighed in relief.

Kha'Zix got to enjoy his victory for but five seconds, as a blue beam of light encircled him to take him back to the fountain. He settled down and his eyes met Elise's. The two stared at each other again. Kha'Zix's antennae lowered and he adopted his calm expression again. Just as the recall spell was finishing, Kha'Zix's voice came through to her. "You…are good." The Voidreaver vanished in a flash of light.

She stared at the empty spot he was in. She sighed in a mixture of both relief and fatigue. As she lay there, she began to think. Though it was true that she always worked to protect her allies and slay the enemies, she never had gone to these lengths to save just one of them. She pondered over this bizarre behavior – to say the least – until she realized she was still lying in the rain beside Rengar's body.

_I would appreciate it if you took me back to the summoning platform, Arcaia._

There was a pause, but her Summoner, apparently in a state of wonderment herself, snapped back to reality and started the recall spell. When Elise appeared back at the purple team's platform, Kha'Zix was already gone, heading back out again. The magic in the location quickly stitched Elise back up and in seconds she was standing tall again.

Zyra just respawned. When one died on the Fields of Justice, their soul enters an omnipresent nether space. Painless and eerily calm, you saw everything your team was doing. Zyra looked at Elise; it was evident she saw it all. "That was most impressive," the Rise of the Thorns said.

Elise looked at her. "Was it?" was all she could think of to say.

Zyra nodded. The two looked at each other for a second more, Zyra breaking it when she started to run back down to the bottom lane. Elise stared at the spot where her ally was just standing. Impressive, maybe, but completely unlike her. Elise shook her head and turned into her spider form. There was still work to be done.

* * *

The rest of the match lasted for just over 30 more seconds. Rengar didn't even get a chance to respawn when the Demacian team, losing both their mid and bot turrets, surrendered. This was in no small part to Elise and Kha'Zix. The Voidreaver, fueled by his victory over his hated enemy until he respawned, fought with unmatched vigor. In just under fifteen seconds, he killed Varus, Nunu, and a respawned Nasus for the ace before making up for purple's lost bottom turret by destroying the blue team's own. Elise pushed forward in mid and was hacking away at the inhibitor turret where she could've easily taken it down before Ryze could appear again. But just as she was about to make the last blow, the blue Nexus exploded and the voice of the games announced victory for the Noxian team.

After the battle, Elise stood with her allies and faced the enemy team. Rengar, wearing one of the darkest expressions she had ever seen, growled at Kha'Zix. The Voidreaver leaned forward, hissing back. Rengar's gaze moved across the team and fell on Elise, glaring. The Spider Queen returned it. She felt a similar hatred with Kha'Zix towards the Pridestalker. She didn't know if it was just the lingering effects of the battle or simply by standing beside Kha'Zix and feeling his energy radiate off.

Rengar raised his paw, pointing at Elise. "I never forget a face," he said in a deep voice, "Especially one that denies me my prize." He turned sharply and stalked off, not even bothering to listen to the "good games" that were exchanged afterwards.

With the others departing, Graves approached her. "We suffered some mighty loses at bot because of you," he said, "But…I s'pose that you made up for it in the end. Good game." The Outlaw walked away without looking back.

Zyra then walked by, nodding at Elise. The Spider Queen nodded back. Zyra then turned to Kha'Zix and, after a pause, made the gesture towards him too. The Voidreaver's antennae folded back and then stood up. Zyra grinned and made her leave.

Elise exhaled. She wanted to crawl into bed and sleep. With the rest of her teammates gone, she turned towards Kha'Zix. He was staring directly at her again, but his calm expression was accompanied by something else. The edges of his eyes were slightly moving and the corners of his mouth were flexing, as if he were playing with something in his jaw. The teleportation magic that brought him back to his containment room circled around him, and just as it was about to take him back, his face achieved a new expression she had never seen him make before. His eyes creased and the edges of his mouth curved upwards into a smile, or at least the closest he could make to one. Unnerving and alien, but recognizable enough. Elise blinked, but felt herself return her own smile. In a flash of light similar to the recall spell she saw him in just a minute ago, he was gone.

* * *

**Slight revisions that better fit Arcaia's character.**


	4. Chapter 4: Word of Wind

Chapter 4: Word of Wind

Elise sighed and walked off the platform. Behind her the Noxian Summoners were congratulating themselves. She gave a small huff of air; they acted as if they were the ones that just went through the turmoil. On the Demacian side, the Summoner in control of Rengar was sitting down as his teammates surrounded him. He was shaking, a cup of hot water clutched tightly between his hands. The rage the Pridestalker must have felt cut deep into his Summoner. She wondered if that was the reason the Demacians decided to surrender. Prolonged attachment to a Champion of that degree could have adverse results. With another huff though, Elise disregarded her concerns for them. The Spider Queen was about to leave when one of the Noxian Summoners stopped her.

"Elise, I wanted to speak to you," she said.

"Summoner Arcaia," Elise said, turning around slowly, "I am very tired from the match and would like to get some rest. So if you want to discuss anything, may we discuss this at another time or make this brief?"

The Summoner, a young one, probably in their late twenties, paused. She brushed a lock of raven black hair back, revealing dark blue eyes. After a moment, she continued. "I…I wanted to apologize for what I did in the match," she said quietly.

Elise raised an eyebrow. The Summoner swallowed and continued, "I hope that I didn't cause you too much distress." Distress? Elise's head still throbbed, and she frowned as she remembered the pain this woman caused her. The Spider Queen felt the urge to spit a dose of Neurotoxin at her, but bit her lip and nodded with a grunt. Arcaia lowered her gaze.

Several seconds of silence crawled by between them. Elise sighed. "Are we done here?" she asked.

Arcaia looked at her, blinking. "Um, I just wanted to personally apologize for my actions. You are a capable Champion; I should've trusted your judgment. Thank you."

Elise sighed and turned back around, heading for the door. "But just something else," Arcaia called after her. Elise groaned. Now what?

"Yes?" she said in a predatory hiss. She narrowed her eyes at the Summoner.

"I was just curious," Arcaia said slowly, "Why did you go through so much effort to aid the Voidreaver?"

Elise's eyes widened a bit. She had asked herself the same question, but she couldn't find an answer. She opened her mouth only for no sound to come out. Again, she was at a loss for words, and she could count with her fingers how many times she had been rendered like this. Elise could almost always weave sentences to her liking. The last time she was like this was when Kha'Zix had given her the deer leg.

She shook her head and finally responded with, "My actions have already been done. I decided on a course and we won the match regardless. As I said at the start of the battle, I can make my own decisions on the Fields for what's best for the team."

Arcaia tilted her head slightly but nodded in content. Elise let out another breath and walked away. As she was, she looked down and realized her left arm crossed beneath her chest. She was holding the part of her arm Kha'Zix had bitten when the two were last enemies. She wondered if the Void-creature remembered that moment. She wondered if he felt ire at it. Even if the wound was long-gone, she didn't let go as she walked back towards her room.

* * *

She walked down the hallway that held the denizens of the Shadow Isles, her eyes pointed at the floor. She still held her arm, slowly rubbing her fingers over her skin. Her mind was frozen on the image of Kha'Zix victorious over the body of Rengar. Torn iridescent wings lined with beads of rain unfolded in full against the dark backdrop of clouds. His claws outstretched, invincible to whatever the world would try to throw at him next. That screech, a sound made when a predator had finally killed the prey it's been hunting for so long. A screech that would've made anyone cower and tremble before the Voidreaver. But Elise found solace in that sound. In the moment Kha'Zix had killed his foe, Elise's body had relaxed and she felt relief for the first time in several weeks. She hung on to the screech of victory, and she found she couldn't suppress a small smile at the corners of her face as she did.

The battle was over, but strangely the tension in Elise that had been present for the past few weeks had dissipated slightly. She opened her mouth and let out a long breath. She still felt blood staining her body and her bones fractured, even though she knew those had been erased when she was summoned back. She wanted to take a shower when she got back to her room. When she was approaching her door though, the room on the other side was wide open. From it, she heard humming accompanied by ghostly screams. When she reached it, she saw Thresh lying on a lounge chair plucking green wisps from his lantern, smiling as he toyed with them between his fingers. Each flick produced a scream of agony, and the Chain Warden seemed to be playing each soul like it were an instrument and he was creating a symphony.

"There you are, Elise," he said, not looking away from the souls he had in front of his face. He pushed the green orbs in his hand back into the lantern and locked it. The wails went down, though one could still hear their dampened cries. "That was a very remarkable battle you just had."

"Indeed it was, Thresh," she said, "As was yours."

"Don't be so polite now; yours was much more invigorating then mine was." The specter tilted his mask-like face towards her, a grin on it. "I have seen many things in my time, both when alive and dead. I must say, I haven't seen many do what you've just done. Even less from people of your personality and position." He slowly got up. "And have never seen anyone do that for a monster like that Void-beast."

"Kha'Zix," Elise said quickly. She immediately felt her face color after she said his name.

"Yes," Thresh said, still wearing his wicked grin, "Kha'Zix." He said the Voidreaver's name slowly, elongating the syllables as if savoring them.

Elise inhaled. "You were obviously waiting for me," she said, "Did you want to tell me something, or are you just that much of a sweetheart as to wait for me and ask me how I'm doing?"

The Chain Warden chuckled softly, moving to the door. "Oh, I just wanted to congratulate you on an outstanding performance on the Rift today. I have never seen you so resolute in battle before."

"Aw, you know exactly what to say to a lady," Elise replied, opening her door and heading in.

"There was also an update from the Master of Metal that I thought you should know about," Thresh continued.

Elise reluctantly paused. How many people were going to do this thing where they continued the conversation when it sounded like they just ended it? "Go on," she said.

Thresh cocked his head slightly. He knew exactly what irked people; he loved to toy with Elise's patience, to which the woman had little of more than she usually had these days. He let the sounds of his lantern creep around for a few moments. "Mordekaiser, with the help of yours truly," Thresh said after a while, slightly bowing upon saying the last two words, "discovered why he couldn't acquire more information on this disruptive magic that may prevent the Shadow Isles from coming to Valoran sooner than wanted. The magic that taints soul and makes them of little use to us."

Elise's eyes twitched slightly when the specter paused again. Thresh rolled his head, stretching his nonexistent neck and producing three low notes of chuckling when he noticed Elise crossing her arms.

"Mordekaiser has since found out that the reason he couldn't get more information on this force is because not many know about it to begin with," Thresh said slowly, "Countless souls he and I have peered into, and not one has a definite answer as to what this force is. Curious, isn't it?"

"So you just wanted to tell me that you've basically made no progress in this situation?" Elise asked.

"Well, we've found out why we _couldn't_ discover more about this force."

Elise rolled her eyes. "So is that it?"

Thresh chuckled again, sounding like metal scraping upon bone. He raised his lantern to inspect something, breathing on and wiping it before saying, "Yes. That is it."

The Spider Queen sighed. "Well then, if you excuse me, I've had a rough day and I would just like some time to rest and freshen up. Good bye."

"Till we meet again, my exquisite spider," Thresh said.

Elise shut the door and headed to her bathroom, grabbing a towel. Her spiderlings chittered at her curiously. She ignored them as she shut the door to her bathroom and turned on the water. With the water running, Elise looked into the mirror. Dark markings were starting to form under her red eyes. She ran her fingers across her cheek. Still not bad, but her face was starting to show the anxiety she was feeling. She looked away, peeling off her clothing and stepping into the shower.

* * *

Elise skipped her typical dinner time, staying in her room and reading her book. She did feel a pang of hunger though, but instead of going to the dining hall she had gone for the icebox with the deer leg in it. Though cold and starting to go bad, Elise ripped off a couple chunks and chewed them. The meat had become tough, but she didn't mind. She survived on worst before. As she chewed it, a feeling of solace befell on her again. Eventually, it was enough to send her into a deep sleep. Her dreams were filled with moving shadows, colliding with each other and making distorted sounds of triumph and battle. Though for many it would've seemed like an abstract nightmare, when Elise awoke the next morning she felt well-rested, something she hadn't experienced for a while. This is probably how Aatrox felt after he slept, if he even slept at all, Elise thought.

The little snack she had last night didn't last long. After freshening up, she felt her hunger returning. Though she usually waited at least an hour after the usual time most of the Champions finished their brunch, her hunger gnawed at her until she couldn't resist. With a sigh, she left her room for the dining hall. As soon as she exited the living hall the Shadow Isles had taken, she entered an Institute teeming with life. Champions and Summoners alike were going about their business, most moving towards the dining hall like ants to a sugar cube. The corner of Elise's mouth pulled back. She already didn't like being around this many people, and the fact that the sun was glaring through the crystalline dome roof causing her to squint didn't help. But she was hungry, and she knew the remains of the cold deer leg in her room wouldn't hold it back. She followed behind the crowd as they filed into the dining hall.

The people in front of her glanced behind and looked at her. She ignored them. She was used to getting stares, whether they were of admiration, horror, lust, or a mixture of any of them. But when she entered the dining hall, that's when she felt the full effect of the peoples' looks. The air once heavy with chatter, everything steadily went down to murmurs when Elise came in. Most of the people in the area were looking at her, their conversations turning into low voices as they muttered to each other. Even when they whispered, she heard her name being thrown around. Her eyes moved across the room and she exhaled, quickly making her way to the servers.

Most of the people kept their eyes down, but she still felt their stares on her. Some of the lesser-intelligent ones continued to watch her. Her name continued to be occasionally tossed around, now mixed with Nasus', Ryze's, Rengar's, and Kha'Zix's. She ignored them, not wanting to deal with their crap. She quickly picked up a plate of toast with some meat hash on the side along with a cup of water and made her way to a table in the corner, starting to eat without looking up. As she finished her first piece of toast, Vladimir slid in front of her. She made a quick glance at him. When she first joined the League, she struck up a relationship with the Crimson Reaper. Though she wouldn't have called them "friends", they were definitely acquaintances.

"Yesterday's battle has made you the talk of the League currently," he said.

"Go figure," she retorted after she swallowed her food but not lifting her head up to him.

"You certainly surprised many of us with your play in the last match. It's amazing what you did for the Voidreaver that day."

Elise set her utensils down and glanced up at the Crimson Reaper. He was grinning slyly and leaning forward, the orb of blood he constantly had hovering beside him. "I did it for the team," she said.

"You mean you let your bottom lane get pushed back half a lane just to save one ally from all the way across the map?" he inquired, leaning closer.

Elise's eyes narrowed at him. "Kha'Zix was a vital component to the team; he was a big part in us winning that match. I could not let him be distracted by the Pridestalker throughout the entire game. Bottom lane was an acceptable loss that you saw we came back from because of Kha'Zix."

"So you're referring to the creature by its actual name now, are you?"

"He," Elise snapped back. Her face started to grow red. She immediately knew these two things just gave Vladimir more leverage.

Vladimir's grin grew and he let out a light chuckle. "Wow, I've never seen your blood grow so…lively…before."

Elise looked back down and shoveled a fork full of hash into her mouth. Vladimir let out another chuckle. As she chewed the large bite, her gaze moved up to see his eyes still trained on her.

"Oh, you're so adorable," he said, "Are you becoming one of those Void-beast sympathizers?"

She swallowed her large bite. "No, but you're becoming one of those people who talk too much," she hissed, "Here, I'll help you with that." Elise flung a glob of webbing at his mouth. The Crimson Reaper leaped back at the sudden strike, frantically trying to tear at the silk. However, webbing was too strong; within seconds he got his hands tangled up around his head.

Vladimir continued to struggle, swinging around in his ridiculous pose and giving off muffled cries. The others in the dining hall shifted their attention to him and started to chuckle at his misfortune. Elise watched him pathetically struggle in front of her. After taking three more bites of her meal, she waved her hand and through a brush of dark magic, turned the webbing to frail strands, sending them lightly falling to the floor. Vladimir, surprised from the sudden release and in the process of still trying to get his hands unstuck, swung his arms with enough force to send him tripping over himself and sprawling to the floor.

Elise snickered. Some of the people in the dining hall, like Wukong and Kennen, were in fits of laughter. Vladimir's face grew red. "Looks like you blood is becoming livelier," Elise said after finishing her second piece of toast.

He glared at her as he got back up and brushed himself off, but sat back down across from her. "Look, I'm just like everybody else here. I was curious about your actions involving the Voidreaver in yesterday's match."

Elise lifted the glass of water to her mouth but kept her eyes on him.

Breathing in, Vladimir leaned in and continued, his expression loosening up. "There are several rumors going around the League. Some are saying the Shadow Isles are somehow affiliated with the Void now. Others are saying your mental health is questionable. Well, more so than some others already believe it to be."

Elise raised an eye brow but didn't put the glass down.

"Of course, I don't believe in such things," he continued, "I know you Elise. Maybe not that incredibly well, but better than most others here I would say."

That was true. Elise had told him the minimal of what she was and how she operated, the same as he did for her. She was starting to wonder if that was a mistake as Vladimir finished his last statement. She set down her glass. "So what do you believe?" she asked before taking a bite of her final piece of toast.

He leaned in closer, the sly look in his eyes returned. Elise turned her head slightly as she chewed. "I believe you have some sort of emotional attachment – a liking - to the Voidreaver," he said quietly.

Elise nearly spit her food onto his face. Vladimir leaned back wearing a smug expression. She looked around; nobody seemed to have heard and continued with their own businesses. She quickly chewed and swallowed, glaring at him. "Wha…wha…what?!" she spat.

He chuckled again. "I saw how determined you were to get to him," he said, examining his claw extensions as he ran them through each other, "I saw how fast your blood was pumping when it seemed you wouldn't make it. Saw the look on your face when you finally got to him. The look of relief you made when you saw his victory over the Pridestalker."

Elise glared at him. Vladimir continued, "Admit it, Elise, you like to Voidreaver. Not sure to what extent, but enough to where you'd be willing to throw yourself between him and his enemy. And don't give me that 'it was for the match' bull; you'd never fight that hard for just one ally, even if they were the most valuable member on your team."

She was nearly panting in flustered anger as she leaned over her tray. "Don't be ridiculous," she said, "I have no liking towards any of the Void-creatures, especially Kha'Zix."

Vladimir tilted his head towards her. "Do you?" he said, moving his orb of blood forward to indicate he saw Elise blushing again. With a breath of amusement, the Crimson Reaper got up and took his leave from the dining hall.

Elise slid back up, looking around again. The other people continued in their own affairs, not noticing what just happened between them. She quickly finished the rest of her meal and exited the dining hall.


	5. Chapter 5: Evolution

Chapter 5: Evolution

Like the Voidreaver; ridiculous! Elise was sitting on a bench in a hall, not wanting to return to her room or stay in the dining hall/lounge area, but not knowing exactly where else to go. She had opened her book as she sat on the bench, her legs taking up the length of the stone seat while her back was up against the side of the niche it was in. She had been sitting here with her book opened in front of her for about two hours, but she had only actually read three paragraphs in that time. Her thoughts were still preoccupied with what Vladimir had said to her.

How could she possibly like Kha'Zix? He was a creature from, if the theories were correct, another dimension entirely. How could anyone from Runeterra have an emotional connection with something like that? But even as she said this to herself, she felt how hollow those statements were. She was flustered when he gave her the piece of meat, placed her own wellbeing in jeopardy to get to him, found comfort in his screech of victory. She had been so quick to "defend" him when he was brought up in conversation and, she realized, she enjoyed it when he attempted to smile at her after their last match.

She shook her head. This was insane! She wondered if she should start going to the therapy sessions the League offered their Champions. She took a deep breath when she heard familiar sounds down the hall way. "Want food!" something whined. Kog'Maw. It was that time of the day again when they got their two hours of freedom in the yard. She couldn't see them, but she felt and heard the stomping follow. Cho'Gath was lumbering through the halls again. She wondered how the League managed to contain something that big with that much power in their ranks. Apart from the stomping, Cho'Gath didn't make a sound as he was escorted outside. Elise knew she wouldn't be able to hear him, but she closed her eyes and envisioned Kha'Zix moving down the hall. The guards as they nervously shook in the Voidreaver's presence. His sharp eyes and twitching antennae as he took in the sights and smells around him.

Elise shut the book she wasn't reading after several minutes went by from when Kog'Maw's voice and Cho'Gath's steps faded entirely. She stood up, stretching before walking down the large halls to go outside. When she got to the yard entrance, she saw the squad of guards standing there. Like last time, they adopted curious looks upon seeing her come but didn't impede her from walking out. Once outside, she saw Cho'Gath in the same spot he was in last time, though this time he was talking to Malzahar. The dark man, his back towards Elise, looked up at the large red Void-creature. Elise made her way down the stairs, passing the table that once carried the food now covered in goo before Cho'Gath spotted her. "It's her again," he growled, his voice sending shudders through Elise's body. Malzahar turned to look at her.

"Spider Queen, what business do you have here?" the Prophet of the Void asked, floating over to her.

She looked at them, sighing. "I'm not here to cause any trouble," she said flatly.

Malzahar hovered before her, his glowing purple eyes narrowing at her. "My question still stands. Why are you here?"

"I'm not violating any regulations by being out here, Malzahar," she said, "Why are you so concerned that I'm here? Are you…distracted by me?" She grinned, bending her leg a little as she adopted a subtle but provocative posture before the prophet.

The man was unfazed. "Most other Champions do not usually come out here around this time. It would be unwise to risk upsetting an inhabitant of the Void."

Elise looked out onto the field towards Kog'Maw playing. The Mouth of the Abyss was running around. As they watched, the little creature tripped, rolling forward head over heels before landing on his tail. His little claws went to the sides of his swaying head as his four eyes rolled around, disoriented. After a few seconds, he shook his head and got back up, resuming his waddling run. Elise turned back to Malzahar, raising an eyebrow as her grin grew wider.

"Your presence here is out of place, Spider Queen!" he snapped.

"Look, prophet, I just wanted to step out for some fresh air. It's not my fault the Institute's yard is such a lovely place to relax."

Malzahar stared daggers at her, but made no aggressive moves. "Don't think that I believed that for a second," he said. But without any further actions, he returned back to his conversation with Cho'Gath. Elise tilted her head in curiosity, wondering about what they were discussing for a second. She scoffed though and moved on, heading straight for the trees. As she passed Kog'Maw, he looked at her with curiosity again. The two had been allies more often than not, and even if he was a disgusting slime cannon she appreciated the range he could provide for the team, however easy it was to pop him. Elise usually gave special attention to defending him. He raised a little claw and waved at her, softly gargling "Hello spider lady." She furrowed her brow, but nodded at him and continued.

Elise looked at the foliage, tracking her way back to the clearing she and Kha'Zix had met over a dead deer. It was empty except for a few insects in the air. She sighed as she walked forward, taking a seat on a rock and wondering where Kha'Zix could be. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a set of spiderlings to keep her company. They regarded her, perhaps sensing their mistress' disappointment. "It's okay, little ones," she said. For a moment more they stood there, but assured that she was alright, they scuttled off and began making a large web between some trees.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, letting the sun touch her face and chest. Disappointment. Disappointment at the absence of the Voidreaver. She kind of expected him not to be in the same place he happened to be at a week ago. Still, Elise wasn't sure where else to go. If she really wanted to find Kha'Zix, she guessed she would've continued searching instead of just sitting here basking in the sun. Or maybe she was hoping that if they were meant to meet, they would've come to this same spot again.

She took a deep breath in. The air smelled fresh, the heavy rain from the past few days giving the woods a clean smell. Insects clicked in the air. The sound of a nearby river somewhere flowed in the distant. Her spiderlings had gone silent. Elise opened her eyes and tilted her head to the side. They were gone, having left their unfinished web. With the mental link between her and them, she sensed they had left to inspect something approaching. An excitement flowed through from them to her. Excitement…and recognition. Then confusion. Whatever they were tracking had suddenly disappeared. Elise sat up, looking around. Whatever it was, it was close as well. Her eyes slowly moved across the foliage. After a while, she let out an amused breath.

"Find something you liked so much you thought you had to hide to see it?" she said with a sultry smile.

Crouched on top a fallen log Kha'Zix appeared, the pigments on his body returning to their normal coloration. He was watching her with his calm expression. Her spiderlings returned with a feeling of excitement, crawling along the branches over the Void-creature. Elise would be lying if she said she didn't share in their delight.

"You were looking for me," Elise said, her smile still present.

"Yes," Kha'Zix said. There was something in his voice that sounded weirdly familiar. Shyness? "As were you," he added.

The smile on Elise's face changed to one of shyness now, moving her eyes away. She touched her arm again. "Yes," she replied. Kha'Zix's antennae moved steadily up and down. Elise looked at him in the eyes. "Why were _you_ seeking me out?" she asked.

Kha'Zix seemed to consider the question, his antennae now twitching as if thinking. He looked down as they moved rapidly. Elise's smile returned, feeling a bit playful. "Did you think I was..._delicious_?" she said, drawing out the last word and stroking a hand along her leg.

Kha'Zix's head shot up to look at her. "No! Not that! It is…"

Elise chuckled, putting her hand up to her mouth. Kha'Zix folded his claws in closer to his body and bounced a little. Definitely shyness, Elise thought, or at least the equivalent. Perhaps she could go down in history, apart from the other things she did, as the first person to make a Void-creature nervous.

Kha'Zix's head was down as he mumbled something. Elise leaned towards him. "Pardon?"

"…It is that your smell…It is good…" he said a little louder.

Elise blinked, her chuckle fading. "What?"

Kha'Zix looked up at her again. "Your smell; I think it is good." A pause before he added, "And not like prey. This scent is different. It makes me want to seek you out, but not eat you. I want to be by you. Your smell. To see you. To be next to you, but not kill you."

She thought of all the things he might've said should they have met again. This was not what she was expecting. "Um," she said, "Thank you. That was quite the, uh, compliment." Elise blushed again. She wondered if Kha'Zix noticed and had an idea of what it was.

He shifted his weight on the log, antennae flicking up and down nervously. Elise motioned for him to come closer. The corners of his mouth shifted again as he creased his eyes. A smile. Still a little creepy even to the Spider Queen, but better than yesterday. He hopped off the log and walked over, standing a few feet from Elise.

"Have you been practicing?" she asked, moving her hand across her face to indicate the attempt at the facial expression.

"Yes," he said, "I have seen many of the inhabitants of this realm do it. After a kill they might do it. I thought it was a reflex in their faces they had after seeing a body. A 'smile' the inhabitants called it. The Demon Jester constantly had the expression though, and that confused me." Elise chuckled at this. Kha'Zix continued, "But I saw it at other times too. Gatherings; many of them would do it. That also confused me, as they weren't killing anything, but they used it when communicating and playing. Cho'Gath finally told me it was a sign the inhabitants of this realm used to show satisfaction." He looked at Elise. "Or when one inhabitant favored another as something different then from prey."

Elise was smiling softly at him. "Yeah, a smile. It's when you want to show someone that you like them," she said.

Kha'Zix tilted his head. "Does the Demon Jester like everyone?" he inquired, "He always has the expression, even when I slay him."

"He's an exception," Elise said and laughed. Kha'Zix observed her for a moment and started laughing as well. She didn't know if he was sure as to why he was laughing, but she didn't stop him. It was nice that he would do it just for her.

Just for her… Nobody had done something "just for her" in a long time, Elise thought. She stopped laughing, causing Kha'Zix to stop as well. He regarded her for a moment and spoke again, "I saw others do it, but disregarded it. It provided no advantages in survival or killing efficiency. But then, after you assisted me in slaying the Pridestalker, I…needed…to do it. I felt the urge to do it to you. I practiced it, trying to move my muscles to mimic what I saw."

Another pause as his antennae twitched profusely. He was in deep thought. Elise sat, waiting patiently. She couldn't take her eyes off the Voidreaver even as her spiderlings became bored and started using their web to catch the occasional insects flying around. He continued after a while. "It was…strange. I was aware it wouldn't provide any benefits to my strengths, but I felt the need to do it regardless. I felt it was necessary, even though it was not. I… I…" His voice trailed off, unable to determine what it was he was trying to say.

"You _wanted_ to," Elise said after a while.

"Want?" he said, saying it slowly like it was new word.

Elise nodded. "You had the desire to."

"Desire," he said deliberately, elongating each syllable. He thought in another moment of silence. Suddenly he hissed and his antennae shook. "This desire is new," he said, "The only…desire….I've ever had was to evolve. To adapt. To change. To better my being for survival and battle and consumption. This form of desire is strange."

Elise lifted one leg onto the rock to turn her body towards him and thought for a moment herself. "But do you think this desire is a good thing?" she asked. The woman looked at him intently.

"…Yes…" he said after a pause, "It…feels…good…"

She smiled. "Then that's all that should matter," she said. The two remained in the clearing for a little longer in silence. Eventually the sun, though its warmth felt pleasing at first, was starting to discomfort Elise. She looked at Kha'Zix. "Would it be okay if we moved to a different area?" she asked, "The sun is starting to burn."

"Yes," he said, "I dislike this sun. It radiates too much light and the heat it produces burns me as well."

She nodded and got up, evaporating her bored-again spiderlings. She heard the river not too far from here and motioned for Kha'Zix to come with her. The two walked deeper into the woods for a few minutes, coming to a cool shady area with a small river going through it. Much better. Elise sat down on the ground, stretching her limbs out on the damp grass. Kha'Zix stood behind her, staring at her. She patted the ground beside her. "Come on; sit down," she said, "Relax."

Kha'Zix came next to her and crouched. She looked at him for a moment. "Close enough," she said and leaned back, lying down with her head resting in her hands. The two remained there in another few moments of silence. Elise watched the thick canopy and Kha'Zix beside her. The Voidreaver's head was in constant motion, taking in his surroundings. He would frequently look back at her, starting at her face and steadily moving his eyes down her body. Elise let out a breath of amusement. She wanted to tease him about constantly doing that, but disregarded it and just continued to lie there.

After a while, a question popped into her head. She looked at her companion, who was tracking a pair of birds moving through the branches. "Hey Kha'Zix," she said. He turned to look at her, moving his entire body to face her. "…When did you start thinking I smelled good…?" she asked slowly, determining if that was the best way to ask while she said it.

Kha'Zix's antennae twitched again as he thought for a second. "I assimilate strengths by devouring creatures," he started, "I take in their genetic codes, growing from that what would fit best to allow me to better survive. I take in the best traits from my prey, discarding their weaknesses to catalyze my evolution."

Elise shifted to lie on her side, propping up her head as she listened. "A few drops of blood give me a sample," he continued, "Devouring the entire body gives me my prey's full strengths. I acquire the best parts of what they were and can determine which I need to keep in order to best adapt." He looked at her. "The last time we were against each other, we battled each other alone. Just us two. You blinded me and I bit you." Elise touched her arm again. Back in the corners of her mind, she had wondered if Kha'Zix felt any resentment to her from that battle. Judging by the peaceful nature which he was retelling the events though, she confirmed he didn't hold any grudge against the Spider Queen. He went on, "When I bit you, I drew blood that was immediately absorbed into my being. Very little, but enough to offer some genetic coding, and from that sample some of your attributes. I acquired a peculiar trait."

He paused, looking away from Elise's face. She waited in silence again. She appreciated his openness; of course, she wasn't sure how well a being from the Void could keep secrets like this. He looked at one of his claws and groomed it. Was he stalling while trying to think? Elise tilted her head. After he went down the length of his claw, he looked at her and spoke again. "It was a strange trait; a useless one for my evolution. I was about to discard it, but it was…interesting. I was curious. I wanted to explore what it was, even if it didn't provide any benefits to my survival. I let it grow into my being and that's when I acquired… What did you call it?"

"…Desire…?" she said hesitantly.

"Yes, desire," he said, "I acquired your desire. From this simple genetic strand, many more paths opened up. I soon saw you in a different view. You ceased to be just another enemy and my next prey. I acquired a…desire for you. You have been in my thoughts since then. I saw your body and I wanted to be next to it. I heard your voice and I wanted to listen to it. I smelled your scent and I wanted to inhale it. It is strange, is it not?"

Elise smiled. "I've heard quite a few people say that to me before," she said, "Maybe not exactly how you put it, but things similar to it. It's okay." She sat up on her side, using her arm and back appendages to support her while her other arm crossed under her chest to hold the spot Kha'Zix bit. Her legs naturally fell into a seductive posture, even though she knew Kha'Zix wouldn't be looking at her body. She was incredibly close to the Voidreaver; she could feel his breaths as he looked into her with his green eyes.

Kha'Zix didn't move. Instead, he made a low hissing-like sound in his throat. He was "purring", Elise realized. He was pleased at how close she was. "The more I let this trait grow, the more of a desire I obtained for you," he said, "I liked the feeling. It was new, but I liked it. I wanted to acquire you. I needed to eat you." He paused. Elise turned her head a bit. "But I didn't _desire_ to eat you," he said after a brief moment, "A contradiction arose: to acquire more of this trait I would need to consume you, yet this trait also made me not want to consume you. I wanted you to be alive, even though I knew I would acquire more of this desire if I killed you. I was confused."

The woman brought up her hand from clutching her arm to touching his head. The reaction was sudden; even Elise wasn't aware she did it until she saw her hand at the side of his head. She paused, but Kha'Zix remained still. He made the low hissing sound again. Elise stroked his smooth, carapace head and the sound continued. He liked it. "Does this suffice for eating me?" she said with a half-sensual and half-comforting tone.

He continued to purr for a while longer. "Yes," he said afterwards, "An alternative. It sates my need to devour you. It sates my desire. I feel your touch and I want to continue to feel it."

Elise continued to stroke his head. The stresses she had been feeling were washing away from her body. She liked it as well. She tilted her head, keeping her eyes locked with Kha'Zix's. "And I acquired more from this desire," he said between purrs, "I acquired anxiety at the thought that you may not want me to desire you. I acquired delight when I thought of being next to you. I acquired anger when I thought that you would go missing. And I acquired longing when I thought…when you didn't…come to see me."

Elise blinked. She closed her mouth and withdrew her hand to her chest, looking down. For the past few days, she didn't want to see the being so close in front of her now. Yet, she felt restless when she didn't see him, and now that he said his last statement, she felt something she thought she had purged when she became affiliated with Vilemaw: regret. "I'm…I'm sorry," she whispered. She didn't know what else to say; only that she knew she had to say something.

Kha'Zix tilted his head. "Sorry?" he said, "I could never understand the purpose of the word 'sorry' when I crossed over into this realm and learned of the sentient creatures here. It is associated with the feeling of guilt, and guilt seems to be a useless and burdensome emotion. What is the purpose of thinking about something in the past you cannot change? What is to come and what opportunities you make of it is what matters. What matters is that you correct your mistakes in the future and do not repeat them."

Elise looked at Kha'Zix. She blinked rapidly, holding tears back, another thing she had not felt for so long. Something she couldn't even remember feeling. She grasped Kha'Zix's head with both hands and touched her forehead to the front of his face, closing her eyes. A torrent of memories from a life she thought she left behind started to come back to her. When she was young and oblivious to the Shadow Isles. When she was ignorant and carefree. When there was a man who couldn't bear to be without her, who would've given up everything for her, and that she herself wanted to be by. And the decision she made when her want for ascension outweighed her desire for him. She shut her eyes tight, preventing the tears from leaking through, taking deep long breaths to try to stop herself from shaking.

Kha'Zix purred at this. He attempted to smile again, although Elise didn't see it as she hid behind the darkness of her eyelids. She clutched his head, pressing her own head into his. She tried to recompose herself, not daring to open her eyes again until she was certain the tears had subsided. She didn't know how long they were locked in this position, but through all of it Kha'Zix didn't move. He continued to purr and Elise found solace in that sound. She concentrated only on that, using it to calm herself. By the time she withdrew and wiped her eyes, the sun had moved across the sky a significant distance. Kha'Zix continued to look at her, his mock-smile still on his face. Elise sniffed, returning her own smile.

"That felt good," he said.

The woman nodded. "Yeah," was all she could say.

The two remained staring into each other for several more minutes before the sound of guards in the distance interrupted them. Kha'Zix turned towards the direction it came from. "My time outside is finished," he said. Disappointment seemed to be in his voice. "I must go back to my containment area."

He looked at Elise, who nodded. "We can meet here again tomorrow," she said. Kha'Zix seemed to like this and made another attempt at a smile.

"Yes, that would be good."

She let out a breath of agreement. The guards called out and Kha'Zix stood up, walking back through the trees. "Try to improve your smile," she said after him.

He turned and looked down at her. "Should I devour the Demon Jester so that I may acquire the ability to 'smile'?"

"Yeah, I think many people would appreciate that," she said and laughed. Kha'Zix laughed as well when she did. They did that for several blissful seconds. The guards called out again and their footsteps were now moving towards them. Kha'Zix stopped and gave Elise one more long look. She nodded, and with that, he disappeared into the foliage leaving the Spider Queen alone.

She turned around to face the river. She remained there even as the footsteps of the guards dissipated along with Kha'Zix's to give way to the sounds of the wind blowing through the trees and the water splashing through rocks. Elise drew her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and grabbing the bite spot. He was right, about the feeling of guilt. Elise thought she had let her past go. Now, she wasn't so sure. She had believed she had purged herself of those memories and feelings when she drank her first dose of Vilemaw's venom. _What matters is that you correct your mistakes in the future and do not repeat them. _Kha'Zix's words echoed throughout her head, each word reverberating around in her mind. He was a Void-creature, yes, but he was developing something she had only encountered once before in a past life. Her chin resting between her knees, Elise watched the river waters flow on by.


	6. Chapter 6: Along with the Spider

**I'm kind of iffy about this chapter. Originally this was going to have a scene that was moved to a different chapter, as I thought that scene would be better a little later in the story. However, when I did that, I ended up rearranging a lot of the scenes to come as well. The result was that this chapter resulted in being a sort of mix-mash of parts.**

**Please feel free to criticize this chapter if you feel it falls off (or any part of this story for that matter). You can even say "This is the worst piece of shit I've ever read" as long as you provide some sort of constructive feedback as to how I can improve. Thank you.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Along with the Spider

"Here, try moving it like this," she said, her fingers trying to push up the corners of his mouth. All that achieved was his jaws jutting out and opening again, showing a second set of hidden fangs. The second set moved back in an undulating fashion when they were revealed, adapted to pull in flesh and extract the genetic coding in blood. She furrowed her brow. "I think you were better with your own attempts," she said, loosening her grip on his mouth and letting the jaws retract.

Elise had been sitting in front of Kha'Zix for over an hour trying to teach him to smile better. Her hands slid from the sides of his head. The two had quickly developed a more intimate relationship, coming closer to each other than they would've let anyone else have. He let her touch the sides of his mouth and edges of his eyes, while she drew up incredibly close to him, just out of reach of where his jaws would involuntarily protrude out. She had tried several methods; different angles of his mouth, creasing his eyes in certain ways, even bending the antennae at various angles. His head, though definitely without the tenderness of a human face, was smooth and sleek. The lack of lips made it difficult for Elise to interpret a smile on him though.

The Voidreaver crouched before her, unmoving, letting her toy with his head. After several attempts, all resulting in various levels of failure, Elise sighed and sat back. They weren't making much progress with his smile; if anything, his attempt at smiling was getting worse when she was trying to help. She mentally compared them with the smile he could produce on his own. She had since gotten used to it, and even liked it, though to others it would still probably disturb them. It was something distinct that he did, and something he only did for her.

"My form has not yet adapted to 'smiling'," he said, "I will correct it."

"No," she said, bringing her hand up to stroke his head, "It's okay. I shouldn't be tampering with something that doesn't need to be fixed. Your smile was lovely as it was."

The sun peeked out between large clouds, providing an adequate amount of warmth balanced with cool and constant gentle breezes. The two looked into each other, letting a breeze move past them. Kha'Zix purred as she stroked him and leaned a little closer. She tilted her head. It was in these moments the rest of the world seemed to melt away. It was only him and her, alone in the secluded woods.

Five days had gone by since Kha'Zix revealed his thoughts to Elise. She had gone out to meet with him every day since then. Her presence no longer surprised the guards and Cho'Gath didn't seem to mind her anymore. The two ignored each other for the most part; the most the Terror of the Void would do was give her a glance while she simply walked past him without a second thought. Kog'Maw had gotten used to her as well, often saying his "Hello spider lady" greeting with more enthusiasm each day. The last time she passed by him, she casually decided to produce a spiderling for him to play with. She was surprised when she returned to find out he hadn't eaten it, even if it was covered in green goo. From the mental connection, it seemed the spiderling enjoyed the Mouth of the Abyss' company as much as its mistress enjoyed Kha'Zix's, if for different reasons. Malzahar had still not accepted her presence though. There wasn't anything he could do to prevent her from going out, but he would wordlessly glare at her when she passed by him. She ignored him every time.

She would meet with Kha'Zix by the river, finding it a comfortable place to be alone with him. Twice, Kha'Zix was standing over a freshly killed animal, waiting to share it with his companion. Elise usually only took a couple of bites, though when she summoned a set of spiderlings to help with the meal they enjoyed the fresh meat even if they didn't catch it themselves. Sometimes to two would simply be in silence with each other, sitting in the tranquility of the woods while she petted him. The woman felt her stresses going away while the Void-being purred in content. Other times they talked, keeping the conversation to little things. When Elise asked if he had said anything to his fellow Void-beings about her, he said he did not. She didn't delve deeper as to why. She assumed it was because he didn't see it as necessary that they knew. Of course, she amused herself with a more mischievous thought that the Voidreaver was too shy to tell the others about her yet. She would also then wonder if Cho'Gath, Kog'Maw, or Malzahar had a suspicion of what she was doing. It mattered little though; Elise was pleased with just spending her time with Kha'Zix. On her part, she hadn't told anyone either. Not many asked what she would do with her free time anyway. If they did, she would just give them a vague answer, which seemed to suffice for anyone who asked.

She gently brought Kha'Zix closer, smiling softly. She brought him forward until his head just above her lap and in front of her chest. Elise continued to stroke him, feeling his warm breaths on her chest. The Voidreaver made his mock-smile and purred. She didn't stop him as he leaned even closer. He was incredibly pleased with this, and she knew it wasn't just because of the eyeful of breasts he was getting. She touched her cheek to his head. He was something new. Different. Good.

* * *

_It was sweet yet acidic as it slid down her throat. She lowered the vial, looking at the substance in it. A thick black fluid oozed around. She looked at the giant undead spider creature lying contently before her, its fangs buried in the cocoon it had just wrapped. The cocoon made slight movements, the contents within still alive, but without enough energy to even scream. She looked at the cocoon - her first offering, the first victim – wondering what their last possible thoughts were before seeing the creature now eating them crawl out. She disregarded it though and continued to drink the substance, the spider-beast's venom, and she felt a sense of rejuvenation flow through her body. She tilted the vial until the last drop spilled into her mouth. With a satisfying sigh, she swallowed the last of the concoction. _

_Her legs felt light in a blissful sort of way and her back slid down the web-covered cavern walls, her body collapsing on the ground. She felt the processes, her skin regrowing, smooth and soft. She felt her muscles shift and adjust; preserving her voluptuous frame. Her mind became alight with energy, filled with new ideas and plans. She turned her head towards the giant spider. It looked at her with glowing eyes. It had spared her when she offered it her companions, allowing it this feast. And, as if it coaxed her, it offered her its venom. Elise had read about this in ancient manuscripts. She collected the venom in the vial and drank it, and she immediately felt her mortality be pushed back, her youth being elongated. She thanked the spider, Vilemaw its name was, and leaned her head back against the cavern wall._

_As the venom become one with her blood, she felt several more changes. Elise moaned as she felt her limbs grow. Her legs grew smoother and more curvaceous. Her feet meshed and grew out, and from their sole a stiletto tip emerged. Her fingers grew small claws at the ends, colored dark red like blood. Something grew out of her back; four spindly appendages elongated along with a nestle of three that curved behind her neck. She closed her brown eyes and felt the venom bless her flesh with even more than just preserved youth. When she opened her eyes, they glowed red._

_With the body it was feeding on completely drained, Vilemaw pushed it aside and reached for a new one. She looked up and watched the claw reach for the cocoon containing a man. A special man. A man that she had known for years. A man who had given her everything to make this all possible. A man who never questioned what she said. A man who threw everything he had in life aside for her. And a man who looked at her with unmatched hurt when his life was the last thing he had to offer. In his cocoon, he struggled and gave a muffled cried as he was dragged towards Vilemaw. Agony poured out when the long fangs of the undead spider plunged into his body, those sounds steadily drowned in liquefied sustenance._

_It was here her grin wavered for a second. _

_Just a second._

_But she knew what her calling was now. That second passed, and she knew there was no going back. This was her destiny, her path in life. This is what she would live for now. Her entire life was laid before her, all decided by a single second._

* * *

Hours had passed since her meeting with Kha'Zix. Elise had remained by the river before wandering around the yard, absent-mindedly weaving silk between her hands. Others that passed by her looked at her with either confusion and/or suspicion, perhaps thinking she was plotting something. She didn't take notice, keeping her mind preoccupied with the sounds of the Voidreaver's purrs and the patterns she created between her fingers. She could still feel his breaths against her body. She couldn't remember the last time someone had become so intimate with her without elevating it to a different level. He wasn't a lustful human or yordle. He simply and genuinely liked being with the Spider Queen.

_The Spider Queen. _At her title, people would be both attracted and repelled. They saw her human guise and Elise could sense their lust and want. She was no mind reader, but she could see in their eyes the thoughts that raced through them when they saw her. She had gladly used this to her advantage as well, taking everything but their soul and leaving that to Vilemaw. At the same time, they knew she was dangerous. They knew that just beneath this elegant human guise was a vicious creature waiting to be released. If you earned her scorn, she certainly had the capabilities to make you regret the minute you even thought about angering her. It was a peculiar place she was put in, one that only amplified when she joined the League. She was lusted after, but at the same time distanced. Elise knew that, despite her followers and admirers, she would be alone. And she had gotten use to that, accepted it. At least she thought she did. When she drank her spider god's venom and delayed mortality, she knew she could never commit to another living soul again. She didn't care; as long as she kept her youth, she would willingly discard of every living being on this world.

Then she thought of Kha'Zix. An alien creature, yes, but in the end had several things in common with her. As the pinnacle of evolution, he was what other organisms could only aspire to be. But his deadliness was shown in full, and as genetically superior as he was, the one thing he couldn't acquire before was lasting companionship. Also like Elise, he didn't care for it either. Whereas the Spider Queen discarded of companionship by choice though, Kha'Zix was by design. It was "eat or be eaten" for him; the idea of a companion didn't even register before. The only thing that mattered was that he consumed, adapted, and survived. No other organism was more than just prey to him; something either beneath his predatory notice unless they got in his way or a worthy genetic trait to assimilate into his being. He only focused on survival; extending his life, like Elise with her youth.

Elise touched her arm. And yet here these two were, meeting each other in the woods every day for the simple reason that they wanted to be next to each other. When she thought of these things, it made her wonder what she actually wanted these days as well as wonder what Kha'Zix was changing into. She brushed it off though when it came to this point. She just wanted to experience the bliss of being in the Void-being's company. She liked it, and even if she couldn't explain it, she wouldn't complain. She didn't dare to care about the reasoning, only the feeling.

So lost in her thoughts she didn't even notice that it was dusk until she looked up and saw the sun disappearing. Sighing, she started to head back to the Institute. She had to stop going into these trances. The woods steadily darkened around her and soon the nocturnal creatures were starting to stir. Four-eyed bat creatures slowly crawled out of niches in tree trunks. Insects took flight, the rods they had for abdomens glowing a variety of colors. Black cat-like critters came out from beneath the ground and stretched, looking at Elise with slit-shaped reflective eyes. If there were more mists and specters, the woods of the Institute at night would've reminded her of the Shadow Isles.

By the time she entered the Institute, the moon was rising. She quietly made her way to the entrance of the Shadow Isles corridors, striding through the halls to her door. Just when she was about to enter she heard something ominous yet familiar. The sound of dragging chains. They were going away from her and she would've ignored them, but they were accompanied by something else. She felt it more then she heard it. A sensation of rotting was present as well. It was a different shade of death then from the Chain Warden's. Karthus. He and Thresh were talking about something, and she could've sworn she heard her name. Were they gossiping about her? Curiosity getting the better of her, Elise decided to follow, sticking to the shadows of the halls. Their voices were just out of audibility as they kept walking on. She picked up the pace while still trying not to be noticed, changing into her spider form to move more stealthily. She crept up the wall and onto the ceiling. She was thankful the Shadow Isles hall had its light fixtures removed. She began to catch up with the two undead beings while keeping out of sight. As she got closer to them, she definitely heard her name again.

After several minutes, the sound of dragging chains stopped around a corner. Elise carefully approached, sticking behind the bend even if she was on the ceilings in the darkness. She leaned against the wall, just barely getting into range to hear their whispers.

"…will get her part done?" It was Karthus.

"Yes, Mordekaiser and I are sure of it," Thresh said.

"But she has yet to fulfill her role."

"Patience, Deathsinger; you must give her time."

"The Shadow of War grows impatient from having to wait, and I would be lying if I said I didn't share in his displeasure."

"She will get what we want, but it's only just begun. We must be patient. If death is anything, it is eternally persistent."

A pause. Elise leaned closer, daring to creep out from around the corner slightly to peek at them. She caught sight of Thresh and Karthus in front of the lich's room. The aura of death was strong in this area, and as a living creature, Elise felt a great disturbance within her. As soon as she got view of the two, Thresh turned his head to her direction. She quickly crawled back around the corner, legs tensing and prepared to rush back down the hall. Nothing further happened though.

"We're not even sure if what she'll retrieve will even be helpful though," Karthus said after a minute, "For all we know, this could be a complete waste of time and resources. It could be any number of other things."

"Yes, but it is wise to consider all possibilities," Thresh responded.

"Is it even known that she has the information?"

The Chain Warden chuckled lightly. "No, but is there any reason why we _shouldn't_ be doing this?"

Another pause, after which the lich gave a grunt of agreement.

"Well then, have a pleasant night," Thresh said.

"Indeed," Karthus said, his response followed by his door shutting.

With the sound of dragging chains approaching, Elise quickly crawled back down the hall. With eight spindly legs moving rapidly, she made her way back to her door in seconds, quickly crawling into her room and shutting the door. Still on the ceiling, she watched the tiny slit beneath her door. A green light approached a minute later and, without pause, disappeared as Thresh went back into his room. No chuckle, no knocking on the door, nothing. She breathed a sigh of relief, dropping from the ceiling. She landed gracefully in her human form and fell back to lean on her desk.

Part of her wanted to be the one to approach Thresh and ask him what was going on. But another part of her told her that it would be wiser if she stayed put. She chose to follow the latter; if they knew about her spying, there's no telling what their reactions would be. She didn't want to know what a mad specter that tortured souls in his free time would do to her if she provoked him. For the time being, it seemed they wanted her alive and well. Still, she thought it best to keep her eyes opened. She didn't know what the two were talking about, but considering who and what they were, she wasn't sure if what they were scheming would have her best interests in mind. Although it was against the League's rules to spy on other Champions, but she felt a large pang of anxiety over what she just heard, and by the time that whatever they had in store for her was executed, it could be too late for the Institute to act on it. She breathed in and called several of her spiderlings. They're objective: keep watch over Thresh and Karthus. And don't get caught. They chittered in affirmation and skittered into the ventilation system. Maybe she was just being paranoid, but when the avatars of death were watching, she would have to take any precaution.


	7. Chapter 7: The Webs We Weave

Chapter 7: The Webs We Weave

_GET OUT!_

_A vicious strike to the face. She sprawled to the floor, fresh blood mixed with tears staining the wooden surface._

_WASTE OF LIFE!_

_The door was held opened. She looked up at them; pleading. They looked down in disgust._

_NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!_

_She was thrown out into the mud. Heavy rain poured down. Her notes fluttered to the ground afterwards, instantly ruined by the muck. The door slammed closed. She tried to get up, looking back, begging and reasoning with a shut door. Nothing. Her possessions all tarnished in mud, she lay before the place she used to call home, weeping._

_Nowhere to go. _

_She had no fiends, no family, no one to accept her. A starless night befell on her. The rain never relented. No idea how long she lay in the mud._

_Everything ruined._

_All her notes, the scribbling of years about the Shadow Isles, forever lost in the muck. It sucked her arms and legs and body in, threatening to swallow her alive. Half her face had disappeared beneath the mud while her other half was blinded with tears. No idea how long she was drenched._

_Alone._

_Noxians would never aid someone as fragile and delusional as her. If she wouldn't get beaten, enslaved, murdered, or violated; she would certainly rot away from starvation or sickness. Everyone and every place – the library, the café, the underground shelters – had all pushed her away, telling her she would never be welcomed. No idea how long she wept._

_The night was cruel. Her body soaked in rain and mud and filth, she crawled away. Away from the shut door. Away from the ones who, after hours of pleading with, would never speak to her again. They couldn't understand. Her passion. Her obsession. Nobody could. They treated her, feared for her, were disgusted by her._

_A waste of beauty and intelligence, they said. They attempted everything; coaxing, bribing, schooling, hospitalization, torture. The Shadow Isles were her one desire though. And when nothing worked, it was easier to give up on and discard of her. She was clearly useless._

_She dragged herself away, crawling through the slums. Even the abandoned animals she passed by hissed in revulsion at her. Everything dark. Everything wet. Everything cold. Collapsing in an alley way, curling up behind a dumpster. Not even a futile attempt to shield herself from the downpour._

_Morning and still rain. A sleepless night. Hunger. Wasn't fed even before she was finally thrown out. Shivering. All wet. No light. Already dead._

_Footsteps after an eternity. She tucked her head in, not wanting to see another look of revolt. That's if they didn't do something unspeakable to someone as vulnerable as her first. Footsteps stopped. She balled up tighter. Heavy rain came down harder. Her body not producing any form of relief. Just let her lie her and die._

_A tap on the shoulder. Nothing. _

_Another tap. Still nothing._

_Rustling and a third tap along with a new aroma. A delicious one._

_She looked up. Someone crouched before her, one hand on her shoulder while the other held a freshly made breakfast roll. They held it out to her. She looked at it, hesitantly extending her hands. The hood pealed back as the figure took off their coat and wrapped it around her. A smile from the figure when she took a bite from the roll. Green eyes looked back with warmth._

* * *

She had just left the building, having skipping lunch today because the dining hall was more filled than usual for this hour. Elise felt a pang of hunger though. She walked across the yard, passing by Cho'Gath talking with Malzahar to which the latter gave her a glare again. Kog'Maw was curled up sleeping on a mat of grass, but awoke as soon as he heard her coming. "Hello spider lady!" he said. Elise looked down and smiled warmly. Kog'Maw's entire body was wagging around as he looked up at her mirthfully. With a wave of her hand she summoned a spiderling before him.

"Ooooohhhh," he gargled, inspecting it.

The spiderling chittered and ran towards him, crawling up his leg and around his body. Kog'Maw giggled, hopping around in circles with his companion. Elise continued on her way to the trees, now knowing by instinct which way to go to get to the river. When she got there, Kha'Zix was crouched on a set of rocks looking at the stream of water. As soon as she stepped into the clearing, his antennae flicked up and he looked around to her.

"Hello," she said, sitting down on a rock below him.

He purred. The two stayed by the river for several minutes when her stomach growled. Maybe she should've eaten something before. Kha'Zix looked at her and tilted his head. "Have you consumed anything yet?"

Elise shook her head. "No, I didn't feel like eating anything today," she said, though another growl from her stomach immediately refuted that statement. Her face grew red as she touched her abdomen.

"I will go hunt for sustenance," he said, leaping off the rocks and heading towards the woods. She looked after him.

"Wait," she said. The Voidreaver turned, antennae perking up. She stood up and walked towards him. "I'll join you. If you're getting food for us, I should be helping you out since I'm here."

He hissed in what sounded like compliance and the two walked into the foliage together. Kha'Zix's antennae stood erect, listening to every sound around them. Elise turned into her spider form for a body more adept at hunting, to which the Voidreaver looked at her in approval. While he stalked on the ground, she crawled up a tree and moved silently through the canopy. She didn't know exactly what they were looking for, though taking into account what Kha'Zix brought for food in the previous meetings, she kept her eyes opened for anything ranging from rabbits to deer.

The two moved through the woods together for several minutes when Kha'Zix paused, baring his teeth. Elise froze and listened. Aside from the occasional buzzing of insects and breeze through the leaves, there was another sound. A grinding sort of noise. The Voidreaver slowly moved forward with her following carefully from above. Silently they approached the source of the sound, a sight that Elise didn't even know the Institute's yards held. A wild boar, a large black-furred tusked creature, digging near the roots of a tree. It snorted as it dug through the dirt with hooved feet, looking for food of its own. Kha'Zix looked up at Elise in the trees. This was their target. She gave a sign of affirmation and tensed her legs, ready to pounce. The boar, though nowhere near as intimidating as the ones she had seen from the more wild parts of Valoran, still looked like a formidable creature. It was easily the size of the large wolves on Summoners Rift, though with much more mass and muscle.

The Voidreaver bended forward, wings unfolding, as he prepared to lunge. Elise crouched in the braches as well. She was hoping his hunting style would be similar to his fighting style on the Fields so she could match with him. The boar continued to dig, unaware of their presences. Several seconds of silence passed before, without warning, Kha'Zix leapt towards the creature. Though he was fast, the boar's reaction was instant, for as soon as the Void-being left the ground it turned and started running. It squealed and fled into the bushes just as Kha'Zix landed where it was. The Voidreaver hissed, firing a spine at it. It sliced through the boar's hide, but the attack didn't slow it. Elise tracked the boar's path and lunged from the trees, legs outstretched. She was just about to land on the animal, and her fangs jutted out, prepared to pierce flesh. However, this creature had impeccable reaction times. Right when it seemed it would fall to her grasp, it sharply turned and headed in a new direction. Elise instead landed on the ground, her foreleg just brushing against the creature's thick fur.

It disappeared into the foliage. She cursed while Kha'Zix hissed. The two stood there, listening to the squealing grow distant. Both knew a chase would be fruitless. After the sound dissipated, Elise turned to her companion. "Sorry," she said, "We can go find something else to eat."

He lowered his antennae. "That is the most substantial prey we will be able to locate for miles," he said, "Its flesh is coursing with the most optimal nutrition of any creature we will find in the area at this time. It is a delicacy you must sample." There was passion in his voice. Kha'Zix wanted this meat for her. He growled and stalked towards the boar's location. Elise followed, heading to the trees again. It was cute, she thought, that he would continue to pursue this troublesome thing for her.

After several more minutes, the Void-being picked up the boar's scent again. They came across it, where it was continuing to dig near the trees, pulling out and chewing on the roots. Kha'Zix made a low hiss, inching forward. Elise watched from above. A direct ambush didn't lead to success; this animal was much too feisty. She could already sense the boar's muscles tense and it stopped digging. Kha'Zix sensed this as well and paused. Seconds went by in silence, and when nothing stirred, the animal resumed its foraging. Jumping out of the shadows wasn't going to work, she thought. Her companion must've been thinking the same thing as well, because he stopped his advance and crouched in the bushes, antennae twitching.

She watched the creature. It was ready to run at the slightest disturbance and strong enough to take a glancing blow. It would be nearly impossible to catch it by claw, and even if Kha'Zix was willing to keep firing spines at it, it would take a while before it went down. As they sat there, Elise couldn't help but feel they were targeting an enemy on the Fields that was fighting too timidly. If the prey was too easily startled, too fast to catch, and too tough to fall to flesh wounds; then why not punish it for its feistiness? Elise would've smiled if she could in this form.

She crept down the tree to Kha'Zix. "I have an idea," she whispered. She conveyed the plan quietly and quickly, but the Voidreaver fully understood. He had done the same more often than not as well, both in hunts and fights. He hissed in compliance. The Spider Queen crawled back up the tree and backed off, circling the area and leaving a strand of silk behind. With the help of some spiderlings, she silently created large webs between the trees partially surrounding the area, making as many as she could in the minute or two they had before the animal decided to wander off. The Voidreaver kept an eye on the creature, making sure it didn't leave too soon. Like she and Kha'Zix had been a part of before on the Fields, they were going to lead the target into a deadlock.

Her companion brushed the webbing she trailed behind, informing her that the creature was moving. Elise quickly finished the web she was working on and trekked back towards them. Hopefully she made enough. She shook the line back, telling him she was ready. A moment of silent passed. Her legs tensed. The next moment a squeal was heard and the boar was running in her direction. Kha'Zix followed, leaping between the trees and swiping at the animal, which evaded every shot. She waved her forelegs, alerting the Voidreaver of her position, and started jumping between the branches. He looked up at her and the large webs in the area, chasing the boar towards them.

The animal swiftly turned away every time Kha'Zix appeared to its side or in its path. Elise followed from above, tracking the creature's movements. After a while, the Voidreaver stopped and stared after it, baring his teeth. The boar ran forward, squealing madly. Somewhere in its mind, it might've thought itself clever at having finally evaded its predator, assuming it could form thoughts like that at all. But suddenly it hit an invisible wall. It cried out in surprise and panic, trying to turn but found its head and forelegs stuck to fine but durable strands of silk. The creature thrashed around, trying desperately to get free, but the more it struggled the more caught up in the web it became. From above where she had been waiting, Elise descended, weaving silk with her forelegs to encase the creature in a cocoon. Though it continued to struggle, this was nothing new to her. She easily wrapped the squirming animal in layers of silk, and in just a few seconds the boar was fully cocooned. Elise rolled the creature around and sunk her long fangs into its neck, careful not to inject the paralyzing poison she usually had so as not to contaminate the meat. The boar quickly stopped moving.

Kha'Zix approached and gave a satisfying hiss, which Elise emulated. "Clever," he said, looking up at her.

She dropped down, landing back in her human form. "Indeed," she said, grinning and looking at their catch. They both admired the cocooned boar for a minute. After that, Elise turned to the Voidreaver. "Well, we didn't do all this just to make a piece of art in these woods. Shall we eat?"

His antennae moved up and down, and he sliced the strands holding the cocoon to the web, making it fall to the ground before him. Elise moved to pick it up but Kha'Zix stopped her. Picking up one of the strands in his jaw, he looked at his companion before dragging it back towards the river. She lightly smiled and walked beside him. The two hadn't gone too far and made it back to their meeting spot in just a few minutes. Once they settled down, they sliced open the cocoon, making a mat out of the webbing for the body of the large animal. Kha'Zix cut through the flesh, giving the most tender parts to his companion. Unlike most humans, she could, and more often than not had, eaten freshly killed raw animal flesh. The two enjoyed a nice meal by the river.

When the two were done, they settled down. Elise washed her hands and mouth in the river before lying down while Kha'Zix groomed himself. She put a hand over her stomach, satisfyingly full from the meat.

"Delicious," she said.

"Yes," her companion responded, finishing his cleaning and crouching beside her.

She closed her eyes and let out a long breath. The two remained there for several moments, listening to the sounds of the river and the breeze through the trees. After a while Kha'Zix spoke up again. "I acquired another trait from you."

Elise opened her eyes. "Hm? What did you acquire?"

Kha'Zix turned to face her and started rubbing his claws together. He did this for several seconds, rustling his wings as his antennae twitched furiously. Elise watched, just noticing something on the sides of his wrists. He then spread his claws and, between them, wispy strands of silk hung. Her mouth opened a little. Webbing. She reached her hand up to them, but the webbing was weak and delicate, blowing apart in just a slight breeze. The things on his wrist were glands; silk glands similar to those on the abdomen of her spiderlings and spider form.

"I feared to tell you. I thought if you knew I acquired more traits from you other than desire, you would not want to see me anymore," he said, drawing in his claws, "Do you still desire to see me now that you know?" He looked her in the eyes, antennae lowered.

She let out a breath. She rubbed her fingers and produced her own silk from them, stronger and more refined then his. He looked at it and brought his claw up to meet her held up hand. Upon touching, Elise slid her fingers down his bladed arm, the strands of Kha'Zix's webbing now sticking to hers. She pulled back her hand, a web suspended between her fingers and his claw. "Why would I not desire to see you any more if I found out about this?" she said softly, "I don't mind." She touched his head with her other hand and he purred, moving closer as he did.

Elise sat up and leaned her back on his leg. He looked down at her, antennae standing straight up. She smiled, gently moving the hand touching his head down. He complied, bending lower. When he did, she leaned onto his side, one hand now on his chest. The Void-being really liked this and leaned in, bringing an arm down over her shoulder, the blade facing away. He curled around her, using his body to shield hers. The carapace against her soft skin was…different, but she loved the sensation it produced. She leaned her head on his chest. His purr echoed in her ear, reverberating around in her skull. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling.

* * *

Elise sat on her bed with her book, half-reading and half-thinking. She had a small smile on her face as she thought of her meeting. The rest of it was simple, with her just leaning on Kha'Zix until he had to go. She never felt the same type of comfort before from a human or yordle, alive or dead. They were too soft. Too easy to break. Too easy to lose.

She exhaled, touching her belly. Several hours had passed, during which she wanted nothing more than to let the day settle. However, no sooner had she closed her book and leaned back when a blue light surrounded her. She pulled back a corner of her mouth. "Let's just get this over with," she sighed.

In the next few seconds she was on the blue team's platform. Around her, her allies stretched and readied themselves. Draven, Zyra, Vladimir, and Trundle.

_This is just a practice match._

She looked up in recognition at the voice of her Summoner. _Arcaia?_

_Yes, Spider Queen. Now get your items; you'll be going mid this game._

Her brow furrowed. "I didn't even say anything yet," Vladimir said. Elise realized he had been looking right at him.

"Not you," she said. The Crimson Reaper grinned before heading up to the top lane. Everyone else had also gotten their items and was heading to their respective locations. Elise stood frozen for a second before doing the same. Even as she walked down the middle lane to meet with Trundle and Vladimir at the ancient golem camp, her expression didn't change.

_Why did you summon me again?_

_You are a powerful Champion. I tried to tell you last time, but you kept on interrupting me: I want to become affiliated with you._

Elise knew what Arcaia was trying to do. Some Summoners decided to stick primarily to certain Champions. As they worked solely together, they established a bond and in battle they could perform well beyond the capabilities than if they were just connected to a routine Summoner. They called it "maining" someone. But this was a harmonization; both parties had to be agreeable to this, and Elise still harbored a dislike for Arcaia for what she did to her in the last battle.

_If you try to force this, it won't work. You do realize that, right?_

Silence.

Elise's eyebrow twitched. _Summoner Arcaia, if you wish to main with me, you cannot force this bond. You may want to use me, but that does not mean I am willing to work with you._

She felt the Summoner brush off the statement, ignoring it. Elise's eyebrow twitched some more. She sighed and continued. _I will perform to the best of my abilities in this match. But the next time you summon me, I may not be so cooperative. Now, like I told you in the last match, stay quiet unless I address you or there is an incoming gank._

_Of course, Spider Queen. Lead the way._

Elise huffed.

"Pay attention, will ya?"

She looked up at Trundle glaring at her. "Oh relax, it's not like this is a real match," Elise replied, firing a dose of Neurotoxin at the golem. Vladimir chuckled at the remark. The troll sneered, but quickly beat the surprised creature down.

As Elise headed back to mid, she opened the mental link with Arcaia again. _Who are our enemies today, Summoner?_

_At bot it is Sivir and Nami. Jungling is Nautilus. Top is Rengar. You'll be facing Kassadin at mid._

Elise's eyes narrowed at the mention of Rengar's name. And also Kassadin's. Kha'Zix had talked about the Void Walker, and though he didn't have nearly as much of an aggression towards him as he did with the Pridestalker, he still perceived Kassadin as an enemy of the Void and thus needed to be eliminated. Elise felt a rush of excitement. She was thirsty for both their blood. When she arrived in lane, she stared right into his eyes.

She smirked. "Void Walker, allow me to help guide you to your death."

"You are null and void, Spider Queen!" he retorted.

The first few minutes were aggressive for her. She didn't hesitate to exploit any vulnerability the Void Walker showed, spitting a dose of Neurotoxin or conjuring a Volatile Spiderling at him whenever she could. But for each blow she made, he made sure to return it.

Kassadin was fairly zealous this match. He moved forward to strike down a caster minion. Elise built up her venom, but before she could launch it she was struck in the chest by a sphere of energy. Though it didn't have much force, she felt her venom recede and she couldn't speak. Elise glared and flung webbing at him, but it hit pathetically against his armor. After killing the caster minion he blasted a Force Pulse at her, causing her to reel at the concussive energy. By the time she recovered and looked up, he was heading back behind his minions. And she still couldn't make a sound!

Several more minutes dragged by. Though Elise was able to out-damage Kassadin and even managed to kill him once, several ganks by Nautilus after that forced her to retreat. She had lost track of how many times a giant anchor came shooting out of the bushes. She swore that the Titan of the Depths was just sitting in them the entire time. The battle was long, but Elise eventually lost her turret under the pressure of Kassadin and his minions.

A voice entered her head as soon as her turret collapsed. _Do you need assistance?_

Elise's eyes narrowed before she realized it wasn't Arcaia's. She glanced over to the ramp by the wraith camp and saw Zyra. _Why aren't you at bot?_

_We've made Nami retreat and Draven just killed Sivir for the second time. He'll be fine for a minute or two longer. Plus, his bragging is becoming insufferable._

Elise grinned. _Help me push back to Kassadin's turret._

The two women managed to beat back another minion wave and were now wearing down the purple turret. Elise turned into her spider form and picked away while Zyra kept an eye out for enemies and shot vines. She had been silent during the push, but as the turret began to crumble, her voice came through again.

_Are you feeling okay?_

Elise didn't pause but she turned an eye toward the Rise of the Thorns. _What do you mean?_

_The Pridestalker. Does his presence bother you?_

The two backed up to let their minions take care of the turret. _I'm fine. However, I am anticipating when I can meet him in battle. I think I owe him for some wounds and fractured bones._

Zyra nodded and started recalling. Just before she left, she verbally said, "If the Voidreaver were watching this, I think he would appreciate your actions."

Elise blinked. She wanted to question what Zyra meant by that, but another voice entered her head. Trundle's.

_Spider Queen, come get your blue buff already. I think we can steal the enemy's one._

Elise started crawling towards the bottom. However, as soon as she passed in front of the dragon's pit, Trundle sent out a distress beacon. Draven had just recalled and Vladimir was still all the way top.

_I've been ambushed! Three of them! Nautilus, Kassadin, and Ren –_

"_An ally has been slain!"_

Elise's eyes widened and she immediately rounded back. But no sooner had she turned around when her spiderlings hissed in anger and an anchor hooked onto her abdomen. She was dragged back, turning just to see Nautilus heading towards her as well. Elise had never been hit by a train, nor was she ever on planning to, but she could guess it was about the same as when she collided with the armored titan.

The breath was knocked out of her and a colossal shock went through her body when the two met, making her black out for a second. If that was with a protective exoskeleton, she didn't want to know what would've happened if she was in her human form. The next thing she knew, she was on her back in the water, her legs curling up in front of her. Her spiderlings nipped feebly at the living diving suit, unable to stop him from raising his massive anchor over his head. "Drown," he said, bringing his weapon down. Elise would've screamed in excruciation had she still had breath in her lungs. The anchor smashed her into the ground; she lay there unable to move from the pain, curling into herself.

_Arcaia, get me out of here!_

_Are you sure you want to use your flash so soon? _Elise detected smugness in the Summoner's voice.

_Don't screw around; flash me out!_

In a burst of light, Elise barely avoided the Titan of the Depth's swinging anchor again. She was flashed into the brush in the middle of the river. Nautilus looked around, trying to figure out where she was. That's when she realized that he was fairly damaged.

Elise called to Draven as she got back up. _Executioner, use your ult on Nautilus now!_

_So, wanna piece of the Draaaaaaveeeeeen, huh legsy? Well, one Whirling Death coming right up!_

A second went by before Elise heard the blades coming. Two giant axes spun through the trees and cut right through Nautilus. He staggered back as they collided and Elise quickly came out of hiding with her spiderlings. He turned to face her, about to lift his anchor when the axes came back around, causing him to stumble into the river again. Elise's adrenaline flared as she activated Skittering Frenzy and lunged in. She tackled the Titan of the Depths, pinning him down as she stabbed him with her legs. Then, with a Venomous Bite, he fell limp into the water.

"_You have slain an enemy!"_

_Hey, you stole my kill!_

Elise would've rolled her eyes if she had pupils to roll at the time. Nevertheless, as she walked away, she sent him a message. _Thank you, Executioner._

_Hey, no problem, legsy. Always willing to add style to a kill, especially to one of your tastelessness._

She already regretted voicing her gratitude. She was making her way towards the tribush behind the dragon's pit, her abdomen still in pain from the Titan's anchor, when Arcaia's voice entered her mind. _Was Nautilus alone?_

Elise was about to retort when she realized it was a rhetorical question. The Spider Queen started running now, but was cut off by a gruff voice behind her. "Not so fast!"

Her eight legs were snared by a bola, tripping her to her side. She turned and saw Rengar leaping over his fallen ally as he charged towards her. Her spiderlings lunged at him, but he easily swatted them aside or cut them in half. Elise quickly changed to her human form, using her now-free back appendages to undo the bola tangled around her wrists and ankles. She got up just as Rengar approached the base of the ramp and was about to spit a dose of Neurotoxin at him. However, a purple flash from behind tore through her, causing her to miss the shot. She turned and a Force Pulse knocked her down the ramp.

"You are powerless!" Kassadin said, raising his glowing blade. Blue runes floated around him.

Elise snarled, but a large claw wrapped around her head. "As I said, I never forget a face," the Pridestalker growled. He turned and threw her to the other side of the river. She crashed into the water, groaning in pain. Rengar ran at her while Kassadin behind him Riftwalked, thrusting his blade forward as soon as he teleported in front of her. She moved out of the way, but the blade still skinned her right side. She cried out as the energy sliced through her flesh. She clutched her side, blood leaking through her fingers.

She stumbled up the ramp into the purple side's jungle trying to get away from the two. She heard her allies saying they were coming, but she already knew they were too far to do anything. She whipped around, firing a glob of webbing. Rengar ducked, barely avoiding the shot, and sprinted up the ramp to land a savage uppercut to Elise. She felt herself being lifted into the air and crashed into the jungle wall that used to be the purple golem's home, collapsing in the dirt. Rengar growled as he approached her and with a swing of his leg smashed her against the trees. She coughed up blood as she lay on her side. But despite the pain she felt, she glared up at the two. The Pridestalker grabbed her by the two upper appendages on her back and lifted her up, snarling in her face.

"No one here to save you now," he said.

Elise opened her mouth, but no words came out. Rengar grinned before realizing that she wasn't trying to speak. He moved to the side and her Neurotoxin shot forward, hitting Kassadin instead. The venom burned through his chest and he brought a hand up to it, doubling over. Elise felt herself being flipped. Rengar threw her into the wall that separated this area from bot lane. She coughed up more blood. She remembered how bad Kha'Zix looked after his last encounter with Rengar, and now as pain wracked her own body, she intended to make sure to repay him in full. But first, she needed to get rid of the Void Walker. She turned to him and saw a purple sphere of energy be shot at her. She ducked, letting the Null Sphere burn the tree.

Kassadin Riftwalked toward her again, slashing his blade, but a quick cocoon stopped him. Elise followed with another Neurotoxin shot along with a Volatile Spiderling. The Void Walker yelled. A roar and she saw Rengar leaping at her. Taking advantage of Kassadin's distressed state; she grabbed his arm and swung his body to block the Pridestalker. He went over them and as soon as he touched the ground she launched a searing shot of Neruotixin at him. He yelled and kneeled. She pushed Kassadin back and spat another dose of Neurotoxin. Then with a yell, Elise plunged one of her back appendages into Kassadin's chest through the hole burning through it. He screamed, dropping to his knees.

"_You have slain an enemy!"_

She turned around to look at Rengar, but he was nowhere to be seen. Elise knew better than to think he was gone though. She scanned the jungle and walked into the tribush leading to the bottom lane, ignoring the pain tearing through her body. She moved through the bush, looking for any sign of where he was. However, she heard a loud roar and looked up behind her, seeing Rengar coming out of his invisibility and leaping at her. He came crashing down on her, plunging his large hunting axe into her right shoulder. She cried in pain, turning when he lifted it out intending to spit a dose of Neurotoxin in his face. However, the blade came down on her again, this time on her left side opposite of where Kassadin got her. She cried out again. Blood spurted out as agony erupted all around her. Her vision was going dark. Rengar closed a paw around her throat and picked her up, slamming her against the jungle wall.

"I'm going to savor this kill," he growled, bringing his blade up to her face, "I'll make you what I would've made out of that beast!"

She clenched her jaw together, trying to stifle the impulse to scream further and clutching his paw with her one good arm. The one that was attached to the shoulder he cut hung loosely at her side. He tightened his grip, causing blood to leak out of her mouth. Make it quick, she thought. At least if he killed her now, she could resurrect to get her vengeance sooner. Rengar snarled as he pressed the large blade under her chin. Her eyes narrowed and she bared her teeth. He slowly moved the blade in, steadily making a cut on her throat.

"Scream, you bitch," he growled. Elise continued to grit her teeth, blood leaking through them.

The grip around her throat was replaced by the flat of his hunting axe. The next instant he plunged his wrist-mounted knives into her waist. An unfathomable amount of excruciation tore through her. She didn't know if she did scream; all of her senses except for the feeling of agony went numb. The world went red before black as Rengar meticulously slid his hunting axe into her throat.

* * *

Elise was now floating, painless. She could hear the sounds of battle, though they were distant. Everything seemed hazy, although she was never really sure whether it was her own mind or the contents of whatever nether realm she was taken to when she died on the Fields. Her senses were too distorted here to ever try to figure it out.

A voice came through from her memories. _If the Voidreaver were watching this, I think he would appreciate your actions. _Would he? Through the shadows and sounds, she recalled Rengar's face just an inch from hers. At his mercy for several long seconds. The blade against her throat. The knives in her waist. The excruciation that consumed her entire body. _I'll make you what I would've made out of that beast_! She felt anger boil in her.

A series of lights surrounded her. The next thing she knew was that she was back on the blue team's platform. She shook her head.

"Excellent, you're back. You never cease to amaze me, Spider Queen. That was quite the show you put on back there, even if you did meet a grizzly demise."

She turned behind her to see Vladimir having recalled back. "Where's Rengar now?" she asked immediately.

"Feeling vengeful today, huh? This isn't a serious match; didn't you say that at the beginning of this battle?"

Elise ignored him and left the platform, expanding her senses over what her team saw. Rengar was nowhere to be spotted. She was now sprinting through the base. When she reached the stairs going down she leaped up and turned into her spider form in midair, landing with a hiss.


End file.
